AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers: India aim to continue winning run against Guam

Kuala Lumpur: India will look to build on their winning start when they take on Guam in their second Group E fixture of the AFC U17 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2027 Qualifiers at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium here on Saturday.

The Blue Colts began their campaign with a 4-2 victory over Singapore, with Dallalmuon Gangte scoring a hat-trick and Ristik Maity finding the net in the 89th minute to secure all three points.

However, head coach Mehrajuddin Wadoo believes his team still have areas to improve despite the encouraging result and has called for greater consistency, particularly in defence.

"There are always areas to improve, even after a good result," Wadoo said.

India had to work hard for their victory against Singapore, recovering from going behind and responding after their opponents twice managed to draw level. The team eventually held their composure and scored twice in the final seven minutes to seal the win.

Wadoo praised Gangte for his three-goal performance, describing an international hat-trick as a special achievement.

"I am very happy for Gangte. Scoring a hat-trick at the international level is a special achievement, and he deserves credit for his performance. I hope he continues to work hard, stays humble and keeps improving," he said.

While expressing satisfaction with the team's attacking display, the coach stressed the need to improve their defensive organisation and decision-making in the final third.

"I would like to see more consistency in our defensive organisation and better concentration throughout the 90 minutes. We also need to manage important moments of the game better, especially when we are leading. We need to be more clinical with the chances we create and make better decisions in the final third," Wadoo said.

India will face Guam for the first time at the U17 level. Their opponents have already suffered two defeats in the qualifiers, losing 0-6 to Singapore and 0-5 to Palestine.

Despite Guam's results, Wadoo said India would approach the contest with the same seriousness as their opening fixture.

"We respect Guam as an opponent and are preparing for them with the same seriousness as we did for Singapore. At this level, every match presents its own challenges, and we cannot afford to underestimate any opponent," he said.

India will aim to maintain their intensity, control possession and execute their tactical plans effectively as they look to collect another three points.

The match will kick off at 1 p.m. IST and will be streamed live on the FAMTV Malaysia YouTube channel

After the Guam fixture, India will face Palestine on November 17 before concluding their Group E campaign against hosts Malaysia on November 20.

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