Delighted with win over Pakistan, says India coach Suren Chettri

The Blue Tigresses won by a three-goal margin to extend their unbeaten run in the tournament.

Defending champions India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan 3-0 in their SAFF Women’s Championship 2022 opener at the Dasarath Stadium in Kathmandu. Pakistan Women’s team captain Maria Jamil Khan scored an own goal to give India a lead in the game. Striker Dangmei Grace scored the second goal to double India’s lead. 

A late goal by Soumya Guguloth saw India win the game by a 3-0 margin. The Blue Tigresses' head coach Suren Chettri and the Most Valuable Player of the match Dangmei Grace attended the press conference after the game. Here’s what they had to say:

First match of SAFF Women’s Championship 2022

Indian Women’s team head coach Suren Chettri and Dangmei Grace started off by reflecting on the importance of the first game and how crucial it was for them.

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“First match was very important for us. It was a tricky game always. So, we’re happy that we won the game,” Suren Chettri said. 

“This is our first match and it’s like the first match is always a tough game for everyone. All of us give our best and hope we give much better than this game in the coming matches,” Grace added. 

“After all, a win is a win. We won 3-0. That’s a matter for us and the team,” Suren Chettri said when asked about the scoreline against Pakistan. 

Suren Chettri on using all five substitutes 

The Indian coach was asked why he made all five substitutes against Pakistan. He mentioned that it wasn't any experiment but was just wanting to give chances to the new players in the team. 

“No no, it’s not like that. I just wanted to give others a chance. They are new faces on the team. They deserve to play a match so I gave them a chance,” he said. 

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Playing against arch-rivals Pakistan

Suren Chettri opened up on playing against Pakistan in the opening game of the SAFF Women's Championship 2022. He was sure about sticking to his playing style and wasn’t in favor of trying anything new against the South Asian nation. 

“Pakistan were playing after long years, we didn’t know how they play & what their strategy would be. We sticked to our principles and playing style. The result is in front of you,” the coach exclaimed.

Speaking on the performance in the first half

Blue Tigresses' head coach Suren Chettri was all praise for his team’s performance. He lauded his team’s efforts in the first half and was confident of winning the game as the Indian side dominated the first half. Suren was also hopeful of coming back with better performances in the upcoming matches.

“First half, we were leading with a 2-0. That’s a comfortable lead for us. We dominated the first half I think. Ball possession was too much for us. We need to work on the final third. We’ll come back stronger,” Suren said while speaking about the team’s performance.

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Coping up with a new squad

Dangmei Grace was away from the team, having joined Uzbek side FC Nasaf Qarshi. She spoke about the challenges she faced while playing against a new team. The 26-year-old has been a member of the Indian side since 2013 and was able to gel on really well with the new faces in the Indian squad.

“I’ve been playing with the team for 10-13 years. It's not a big deal for me. I saw the new faces in our team but I can easily make out because I’ve been in the team for so long,” Dangmei Grace said.

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Facing Bangladesh on 13th September

Suren was all praise for Bangladesh when asked about the opponent. He was confident in the team preparing well for the match as there was still plenty of time left for the game.

“Bangladesh is always a good team. They are full of energy and played in the past also. We worked & played together many times. We are playing the third match against Bangladesh. So still there is a lot of time to prepare for the game,” he commented.

Positives from the game vs Pakistan

Suren Chettri spoke on the positives from the SAFF Women’s Championship match against Pakistan. He was happy with the team’s overall performance and was all praise for his midfielders.

“I would say, we scored three goals. Scoring is very important for the team. There was a lot of good communication between the midfielders and we have put a full-back on the left, so we were troubling the Pakistan team,” Suren Chettri said when asked about the positive takeaway from the opening encounter. 

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