ANI
20 Nov 2023, 01:55 GMT+10
Kuwait City [Kuwait], November 19 (ANI): Indian football team centre-back Sandesh Jhingan, praised the entire team for their efforts as the Blue Tigers secured a narrow victory against Kuwait in the opening game of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City on Thursday.
The Blue Tigers secured a hard-fought victory over Kuwait away from home, breaking the deadlock with a solid finish from Manvir Singh in the 75th minute, connecting perfectly with a Lallianzuala Chhangte cross.
Despite drawing in their previous two encounters during the SAFF Championships earlier in the year, India faced a tough challenge on foreign soil and managed to not only secure three points but also maintain a clean sheet, with Jhingan playing a crucial role in leading the defence.
Reflecting on the result, Jhingan expressed happiness for the win but cautioned against excessive celebration, urging his team to stay focused as they brace themselves for an even more formidable challenge against reigning AFC Asian Cup champions, Qatar, on Tuesday.
"It was very important to start on a winning note. I'm really proud of the team and of how we stepped up to the occasion. Kuwait are always a difficult side, and more so when you're playing away. We put on a strong and mature performance, but we cannot celebrate too much, get carried away, or think too big of ourselves," Jhingan said in an interview with the-aiff.com.
"We have another game in a few days, so it's all about recovery. We just have to keep going. It's just the first game. Let's keep getting better, dreaming big, and make the work bigger than your dream," he added.
India had faced challenges away from home earlier in the year, failing to secure a win at the King's Cup and Merdeka Cup tournaments. Despite doubts surrounding their performance in Kuwait, Igor Stimac's side showcased resilience and strength. Jhingan highlighted the significance of playing in those games and how it helped them in Kuwait.
"The weight of the tournament makes a difference. We gave a good account of ourselves in Thailand (King's Cup). The Malaysia game (Merdeka Tournament) was, we can say, one-off day after a long time. Of course, we were disappointed to lose there, but those games are to learn lessons. The whole point of friendlies is to learn from them to prepare for big games like these," Jhingan explained. (ANI)
Get a daily dose of The UK News news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to The UK News.
More InformationLESBOS, Greece: Greek authorities said a cargo ship sank off the island of Lesbos over the weekend during a storm, ...
COLUMBUS, Ohio: To stop the spread of bird flu, more than 1.3 million chickens will be killed on Ohio's Union ...
In a devastating turn of events, Israel's war on Gaza, sparked by Hamas's unprecedented attacks on October 7, has resulted ...
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana: In a Louisiana election where more than 43,000 people cast their ballots, a candidate for parish sheriff ...
LIVINGSTON, Kentucky: This week, railroad operator CSX said a train derailment involving 16 cars, two of which spilled molten sulfur ...
Fifty-seven journalists have been killed as of Saturday as a result of Israel's war on Gaza, which has extended to ...
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], November 30 (ANI): Punjab FC head coach Staikos Vergetis has urged his players to show character and ...
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], November 30 (ANI): Bengaluru FC head coach Simon Grayson feels that home advantage will be of great ...
white house - Vice President Kamala Harris will lead the U.S. delegation to the world's premier climate summit, the White ...
Kochi (Kerala) [India], November 30 (ANI): Chennaiyin FC head coach Owen Coyle felt that the result could have gone either ...
Kochi (Kerala) [India], November 30 (ANI): Kerala Blasters FC head coach Ivan Vukomanovic took valuable lessons from his side's performance ...
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], November 30 (ANI): Seeking their opening win of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 season, Punjab FC ...