"We are not up to the mark technically" - Thomas Dennerby after India's 3-0 loss to Morocco in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup

Host nation India suffered a 0-3 defeat at the hands of Morocco in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2022, bringing to an end their hopes of making it through to the knockout stages.

India's head coach Thomas Dennerby stressed that the results were down to the lack of technicality in the players.

Indian Eves suffered a 0-8 drubbing at the hands of the USA in the opening game. But against Morocco, they kept matters tight until the 50th minute and gave the visitors a run for their money.

Speaking about the performance of the Young Tigresses, the Swedish gaffer told the AIFF Media team:

“I know we are out of the tournament but still I am happy about the way my girls fought till the end. Our fitness level wasn’t a problem. But we are not up to the mark technically. This is one area where we need to work harder.

“I am proud of my girls for their performance yesterday, but not very happy with the result at the end. But they gave it all on the pitch.”

---

"We should have scored one" - India U-17 women's team head coach Thomas Dennerby

On Friday, October 14, in the 50th minute, Indian defender Naketa handled the ball inside her own penalty box and the referee was quick to blow the whistle to award a penalty to Morocco.

Doha El Madani gave the visitors the lead from the spot and soon the floodgates opened. Dennerby stated:

“I was trying to organize our team game for so long and have been practicing to play the final and the crucial pass with accuracy. We should have scored one when Anita was in a one-on-one situation with the rival keeper in the second half.”

While India have been knocked out of the tournament, the months of training the girls had will do a wealth of good to their footballing prowess. However, the gulf in quality is still pretty stark and Dennerby didn't shy away from addressing it, saying:

“Football is mainly a sport of skills and we have a little bit more to do in this area. That's the truth."

The Young Tigresses are at the bottom of the table and are yet to rack up a single point or goal in the tournament. They have another group stage game to play against the mighty Brazilians on October 17.