'Send us to the Asian Games,' Constantine in impassioned plea to Indian govt

The Blue Tigers will face New Zealand in their last group stage fixture on Thursday. 

India beat Kenya in their second game of the Intercontinental Cup 3-0 at the Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai. The game was played in front of milling crowds who had braved the driving rain in response to captain, Sunil Chhetri’s plea for the nation to support their team.

After a tough first half which was hindered by rain, the Blue Tigers came into their own in the second half, with Chhetri scoring a brace on his 100th appearance for the national side.

In his post-match press conference Stephen Constantine, the manager of the Indian team, voiced his appreciation for the fans who showed up in their numbers despite the difficult conditions. The coach also commented on Sunil Chhetri’s performance and his achievements for the country.

“I am delighted that he got those goals and obviously delighted that we won," he said.

Watch Indian head coach Stephen Constantine's post-match press conference here

"I want to congratulate the boys for a hard-fought victory under difficult conditions. We didn’t play well in the first half. The win puts us in the final of the tournament. That’s what we wanted to achieve since the beginning," he added.

"I was thinking before the game who's going score for the team and for Sunil, I'm glad that he himself scored twice," the Indian gaffer said.

The Englishman also talked about the overwhelming crowd support on Tuesday night, which saw a full house cheering for the Blue Tigers. "I don't just expect Blue Pilgrims, we want more of them to come to watch us," he said.

The Indian team was outplayed by the Africans in the first half, where the Kenyans clearly had the ball control as well as domination over the gameplay. Talking about the overall performance of the Indian side Constantine asserted, "We needed to get a hold of midfield which we didn't have in the first half. The weather helped and the rain as well."

.@chetrisunil11 came up with a double on a special night for the @IndianFootball team skipper, that saw the Blue Tigers run away with the win over Kenya!#BackTheBlue #INDvKEN #Chhetri100 pic.twitter.com/PzXEN1njzE

— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) June 4, 2018

However, the Indian head coach also praised the efforts of the ground ostaff at the as he said, "The game looked like there was no rain in the first half. The credit goes to the Andheri ground officials."

The Englishman also revealed that the Blue Tigers need more games to prepare for the AFC Asian Cup next year. "We need more games. If the government is listening to me, send us to the Asian Games," he said. "It's an U-23 event, we have 11 players in the squad who are U-23. The benefit is huge that we will gain from the Asian Games with these players." he further added.

Also Read:

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Constantine was joined by Hero of the Match, Sandesh Jhingan, who was questioned on the playing conditions in the first half, where the ball was holding up on the pitch, leading to incomplete passes. The Englishman also hailed his midfield that has been heavily criticized in the past for handling the conditions professionally and putting in another impressive performance.

“There is never any pressure to play in front of such a full crowd. It was extra motivation from the moment when we entered the stadium. We knew we had to deliver and we did,” Jhingan revealed.

Behind the scenes: India 3-0 Kenya

The defender was forced to come off the pitch as he picked up an injury in the second half. When asked about the extent of his injury Jhingan said, "We will have to go to the hotel and see what's the condition, can't tell anything yet."

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Meanwhile, Constantine insisted that he has not decided if he is going to rest players for India’s game against New Zealand.

Chettri’s brace and Lalpekhlua's stunner goal saw the Blue Tigers book a spot in the final of the tournament, much to the delight of fans all over the country. The second spot in the finals will be taken by one of the three remaining teams with all having suffered a single defeat so far.