India face Iran in a Group B match of the Cafa Nations Cup at the Hisor Central Stadium in Hisor, Tajikistan, on Monday.
India are on a high after defeating co-hosts Tajikistan 2-1 in the opening match at the same venue last Friday.
Head coach Khalid Jamil credited the victory to team unity. “The win was all down to the unity that the players showed on the pitch. They all worked in unison. Not only the players, but the entire staff, and the unity within the team is visible,” Khalid told the-aiff.com on the eve of the match.
India are 133rd in the Fifa rankings and Iran are 20th. So the clash may very well be termed as a ‘David versus Goliath’ affair.
Khalid, however, is focused on getting the players up and ready for the match against the Asian giants.
“The win in the last game was a huge motivation for us, but the main thing right now is for us to be ready for the Iran game. We’ve had two days to recover, and now we need to ensure that everyone is fresh for Monday,” said Khalid.
Defender Sandesh Jhingan, who scored the second goal in the 2-1 victory against Tajikistan and was named Player of the Match, stressed the importance of using the win to build momentum.
“Yes, we are happy that we got a win, but we must build on this win as a nation and as a team. We must continue to improve, because our main aim is to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup for the third consecutive time,” Jhingan said.
“These games are important for us to prepare for the upcoming qualifiers (against Singapore).”
India’s last victory against Iran came in 1959 in Ernakulam. The score was 3-1.