India call for united effort against top-ranked Iran

Khalid Jamil is not a fan of statistics, so it’s hardly a surprise that he was unaware of him being the first Indian coach since Sukhwinder Singh in 2001 to win his opening game in-charge of the national team.India’s 2-1 win against Tajikistan in the opener of the CAFA Nations Cup last week was special for more reasons than one. It helped Jamil start on the front foot -- two goals inside the first 13 minutes – and register an important away win, against a higher-ranked opponent, in a tournament where India made their debut.“You never think of statistics when you go into important matches,” Jamil said on Sunday. “My only thought was that we were essentially playing an away game, and we needed to play well and win.”Defensively, thanks in good measure to the goalkeeping of captain Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, India did a decent job to keep the hosts away, particularly in the second half. But there are loose ends to be tied as Jamil’s side take on the might of Iran at the Hisor Central Stadium, Tajikistan, on Monday.There’s a gulf of difference between the teams. Iran have won the AFC Asian Cup three times, qualified for the FIFA World Cup seven times, including the last four consecutive editions, and are generally considered the strongest team on the continent.

Their world ranking of 20 means they are 113 spots ahead of India.“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 when we face Iran,” said Jamil.India last played Iran in 2016 with the hosts winning 4-0 in Tehran. Only two players – Gurpreet and Sandesh Jhingan -- were part of that squad.“We have to believe in ourselves and stay united at all times,” said Jhingan, who was Player of the Match against Tajikistan. “When you face top opposition like Iran, who play regularly at the World Cup, we have to make the most of our chances and minimise our mistakes. Against such teams, half a second of lapse in concentration can cost you. You need to be focused every second to get a positive result.”India’s last win against Iran came in 1959 in Kochi, when goals from Chuni Goswami, Yusuf Khan, and Tulsidas Balaram helped the hosts win 3-1.