Star India and Bengaluru FC goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu feels India have a good chance of pulling off an upset against Oman in the World Cup qualifying opening match on Thursday.
India will play their first match of the qualifying campaign of FIFA World Cup, Qatar 2022, AFC Asian Cup, China 2023 against Oman.
Notably, India are yet to win a FIFA-recognised match in the history of the game.
“We have to play together as a team, and without fear. Getting off to a good start will be really important,” Gurpreet was quoted as saying by the official website of All India Football Federation (AIFF).
The last time India and Oman were up against each other in a friendly match was in December 2018 and the match had ended in a draw. Gurpreet admitted that draw was a positive result for the team but the team is focusing on the job ahead of them.
“Of course, it is good to keep in mind what happened when we last faced Oman. However, it is also important to focus on the job ahead of us. We need to make sure we put on a good show in front of our home crowd in Guwahati,” he said.
“A lot has changed. We have a new squad, a new set of players and a different coach. On the pitch, we are trying to implement the style of play asked by the coach and put our best foot forward. Off the pitch, it has been pretty much the same, which is a good thing as you want to continue the good things that have been happening off the field.”
“Oman are a good team and have very talented players. The whole team is looking forward to playing against them. Personally, I would miss Ali Al-Habsi. Our friendship goes back a long way, and watching him play was always a good sight,” Gurpreet concluded.
After Oman, India will play against Qatar on 10 September. Afghanistan and Bangladesh are the other teams in the group.