What’s the story?
India’s Under-17 coach Luis Norton de Matos has his eyes on the quarter-finals of the upcoming FIFA Under-17 World Cup. Being the host country, Matos feels that India have a good chance to qualify to the quarters of the mega event. He revealed to a certain section of the media that the team is high on spirit and desperate for a good show in front of their home crowd.
Despite that, Matos feels that there are many areas that need to be improved. The former Benfica reserve side manager was appointed as India U-17 coach only in the month of March and he has already injected a tremendous fighting spirit among the footballers.
Also read: FIFA U-17 World Cup: India could host another FIFA World Cup
"When we talk about targets we usually associate victories, a finish in the quarterfinal. That is a legitimate dream. We will do everything to fight the favourites and the stronger teams," De Matos told PTI in an interview, as quoted by Outlook. Talking about the larger picture, he said that he wants to showcase the talent India has in football to the world. He also said that his side will go out strong and make the world understand that India has a bright football in football.
The context
We should not forget in what situation he was appointed to coach the side. Matos replaced Nicolai Adam in March as the German was forced to resign amid player outrage. Under such a controversial atmosphere, Matos took charge and almost turned the tables for the Colts single-handedly.
The heart of the matter
The Indian Colts embarked on a tour to Europe where they played top European teams like Benfica and Lazio. They had mixed results, but the exposure they received was priceless, according to Matos.
Matos revealed that the Indian team had a great time during their European tour. He opined that the tour helped the young players progress, but feels the game idea needs to be improved. Although India U-17s have done well recently in some friendly matches, Matos doesn’t want to get too excited with the performances as he said that friendlies and World Cup matches are very different.
With the World Cup less than 100 days away, preparations have been going on in full swing.
Having been appointed only this year, Matos is looking to bridge the gap between top countries and India and in that process, the Colts’ European tour has been a great help according to him. The 63-year-old said the passing of the team has improved a lot and the players have shown great qualities like focus, momentum, speed, intensity and sacrifice.
What’s next?
The Under-17 World Cup starts on 6th October and India will play all their group stage matches in New Delhi. If India qualify for the quarter-finals, it will be a major boost for football in the country.
Author’s take
For the first time, India are participating in a football World Cup. Not only the Indian fans but the entire football fraternity across the globe will have an eye on those youngsters . If they can live up to the expectations then authors like me will have to write a different history of Indian football in coming years.
