'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Indian national team will face their first hurdles in the AFC Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers when they square off against Cambodia at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata on Wednesday.
The visitors' head coach, Hirose Ryu, underlined that the Angkor Warriors are well-prepared leading up to the clash against the Blue Tigers. In a press conference on Tuesday, the Cambodian gaffer, beaming with confidence, averred:
"We think we are in a strong group. But we had good preparation before coming to India and hopefully, we will have an excellent result tomorrow."
Trending
However, the challenge has only gotten arduous for the Southeast Asian nation with the return of India's veteran forward Sunil Chhetri to the national setup after almost a six-month hiatus.
What does the Cambodian head coach think about India's attacking force? Hirose Ryu said:
"I don't know the formation the Indian coach will play tomorrow. But India’s forward line is dangerous for us but we will have to fight against them. So we will see tomorrow."
"We’ll have to play with 100% confidence" - Cambodian captain Soeuy Visal ahead of India clash
At 171 in the FIFA rankings, Cambodia are lower than India on the charts. Hence, there have been a lot of questions about how the Angkor Warriors approach the game. Do they resort to a defensive approach to come away with a point or go all-out in attack as they have nothing to lose?
Cambodian skipper Soeuy Visal opined that the team aren't concerned about the approach the coach selects for them. They are more concerned about giving their all on the pitch and enjoying the game. The 26-year-old defender stated:
"India are a higher ranking team and have really experienced players. It's not about playing defensive or attacking football. We’ll have to play with 100% confidence and follow the coach’s tactics. Then everyone can see tomorrow how we will play. We will enjoy the game."
Before concluding the press conference, Visal was asked if the visitors would be pleased even with a draw to which he replied:
"Even a draw will be a pleasing result for us."
