Michael Feichtenbeiner: We could have drawn this match

Myanmar faced a defeat in the first game of the Hero Tri-Nation International Tournament at the hands of hosts India by Anirudh Thapa's goal.

In an enthralling game of football in front of a packed Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal, hosts India defeated Myanmar through a from Anirudh Thapa. The midfielder scored the goal at the end of the first half to hand Myanmar a narrow defeat. Even though they lost the game, Myanmar played an attacking brand of football and created a number of problems for the hosts. Despite that, Myanmar could not equalize because of sturdy defending from the Indian side. Next, Myanmar is scheduled to play their next game after three days against Kyrgyzstan.

After the game, Myanmar head coach Michael Feichtenbeiner addressed the post-match press conference. Edited excerpts from the conference are as follows.

Coach's reaction to the game

Michael Feichtenbeiner expressed his opinion on the game against India. He asserted that his team played really well and they were a bit unlucky to not get a draw at least. He also expressed his gratitude to the people of Imphal for packing the stadium up to the brim.

"The way we started, I think it is a bit unlucky for us. We could have drawn this match. We also had a few good chances. But on the other side, the Indian team scored one goal, and sometimes, it is enough to win a match. I think we had an exciting match.

We tried to attack and created a lot of chances. So, for the fans, it was a good match. I want to say thanks to the people of Imphal. It was a pleasure for me and the team to play here. We thank all. We were not bad and we are not unhappy with today's performance."

On the game against Kyrgyzstan

Myanmar are slated to play the next game of the tournament against Kyrgyzstan after three days. He talked about what the team's approach will be for the game. He briefly touched upon the history between the football teams of Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan and asserted that today's performance will give them confidence for the game.

Michael Feichtenbeiner said, "Tonight and tomorrow the whole day we have to recover. We will then focus on our next match against the Kyrgyzstan team that beat us in our last few games and hurt us a lot. We would like to show improved performance and hope to play the game like we played today."

Coach's message to the players after the game

Michael Feichtenbeiner talked about what he told his players after the game. He stated that he saw a lot of good things from the team in the game and conveyed the same to his players. He said, "After the game, I was very happy to be the head coach of Myanmar because I saw a lot of good things. This is also what I told the players. After this match, I have much more hope.

We can go step-by-step at a higher level. I saw many good things but also we made some mistakes while defending and conceded the goal. We also missed some clear chances and made some mistakes in the offence. But overall, after this match, I am happier than before."