Khalid Jamil urges India to bounce back against New Zealand after 0-5 defeat

India head coach Khalid Jamil has urged his players to take responsibility and deliver a better performance against New Zealand in Christchurch. India will be looking to bounce back after their 0-5 defeat in the opening international friendly.

Christchurch: India head coach Khalid Jamil has urged his players to take responsibility and deliver an improved performance when the Indian side faces New Zealand in the second international friendly at the One New Zealand Stadium on Sunday.

India will be looking to recover from their 0-5 defeat in the opening friendly in Auckland, where the hosts scored through a Bijoy Varghese own goal, a brace from Jesse Randall, Chris Wood and Lachlan Bayliss.

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Acknowledging India’s disappointing performance in Auckland, Jamil said there could be no excuses despite the challenges the team faced during their preparations, and called on every player to give their best in Christchurch.

“If you see the result, it was not up to the mark, but the players are giving their best. The attitude of the players has been very good. We were playing against a stronger team, no doubt, but there is no excuse. We need to rectify our mistakes and fight back. In tomorrow’s game, every player must take responsibility and give everything,” Jamil said.

The Indian team had to deal with a seven-and-a-half-hour time difference and limited preparation time before the opening fixture. Jamil, however, said the players had now settled into the conditions.

“We are playing an away game, and there is a seven-and-a-half-hour time difference. We had only one day of practice before travelling, and then had to play within two days. It takes time to adjust. Sometimes the mind is ready, but the body is not. But now everybody is settled, I believe,” he said.

The head coach also took responsibility for the defeat, while pointing towards individual mistakes that contributed to the goals conceded.

“The result, yes, it is my mistake. There were individual errors as well that led to the goals we conceded. But one good thing is the attitude of the players. They are ready to bounce back,” he added.

India captain Anirudh Thapa, who led the side in Auckland for only the second time in his international career, described the result as disappointing and stressed the importance of greater discipline and communication.

“It was a very disappointing result for us. The boys were devastated after the game. We came here wanting to put in a good performance, but New Zealand were strong and punished our mistakes. We have to take responsibility as a team. We know we can do better, and we have to show that tomorrow,” Thapa said.

The midfielder also emphasised the need for the players to remain united and support each other during difficult moments.

“At this level, you cannot afford to make too many mistakes. We have to be more disciplined, stay compact and communicate better with each other,” he said.

India travelled to Christchurch on Friday evening after a gym session earlier in the day for players who had not completed the full 90 minutes in Auckland. The team held its final training session at the match venue on Saturday.

Jamil also appealed to Indian football fans to remain patient and continue supporting the team as it undergoes a rebuilding process, with opportunities being provided to new players.

“We are in a good process, and we need to play these kinds of matches. We are also giving opportunities to new faces,” he said.

Four players, Muhammad Suhail, David Lalhlansanga, Tomba Singh Haobam and Ricky Meetei Haobam, made their international debuts in the Auckland fixture.

“We have to bounce back tomorrow. I will not leave anything in this game. We have to give everything. I have already given the message to the players. We have to go out and give everything. They are highly motivated,” Jamil said.

Thapa echoed the coach’s confidence, saying the team was determined to make the most of its second opportunity against New Zealand.

“We cannot change the past result, but we can learn from it. We want to put in a much better performance,” he added.

The fixture will be the first international football match at the newly opened, 25,000-capacity One New Zealand Stadium, which opened in March this year.