Nine goals against Maldives message to Bangladesh that we are ready, says India coach Suren Chettri

Player of the Match Anju Tamang dedicated her performance to her teammates.

India thrashed Maldives to pick up a huge 9-0 win in the SAFF Women’s Championship 2022 at the Dashrath Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal on Saturday. Anju Tamang scored four goals, Dangmei Grace got a brace – while Priyangka Devi, Soumya Gulgonath and Kashmina scored one each to complete the rout. Head coach Suren Chettri was pleased with the victory, that put his side into the semifinals.

Following the result, the head coach and Player of the Match Anju Tamang reflected on the match at the post-match press conference.

Suren Chettri’s thoughts on the win

Head coach Suren Chettri was delighted with the win, which took his side to the top of the league table. He said after the match: “We needed this win today, so it’s a big win for us. The girls did improve and played a good game. As I said before the game we needed to be very aggressive and we did so. The plan was executed well today and it’s a big win for us.”

When asked about how he inspired the players to score so many goals, he said: “We just wanted to play good football. I also addressed them before the game started and told them to stick to our plan and be composed in the final third. That is why the goals kept coming and to score nine goals is a huge win for us.”

[KH_ADWORDS type="4" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS]

Bangladesh test ahead

With India set to face Bangladesh – the second-best team in the tournament – in their next match, Chettri sent a message to the opponents, saying: “I believed in the girls, they played a good game and had good passing in the final third. I had a strong belief that they would score a lot of goals. After the first one, the goals kept coming. It’s a big win for us and a message to Bangladesh that we’re ready for the next match.”

However, Suren refused to give anything away about his plans for the game. He explained: “I shouldn’t disclose my plans right now. We’ll play attacking football against them as we did today. Bangladesh are a good team, they defeated Pakistan 6-0. We’ll be aggressive, we’ll keep pressing the players and put them in trouble. We have the upper hand right now, even if we play a draw we’ll top the league stages and the pressure is on them.

“I always have huge respect for Bangladesh. They play aggressive football, they love going into the final third and scoring goals. We have respect, but our team is ready to face Bangladesh in the next match. We’ll play a good game, you will see that.”

[KH_ADWORDS type="3" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS]

Praise for Tamang and playing conditions

Suren Chettri also praised Anju Tamang for scoring four goals. “I’d like to congratulate Anju for scoring four goals. It’s a big thing for the team. Anju has always been a hard-working player and has been a part of this team for a long time. I always look for her and know she has the potential to score goals. I’ve told her that you have the potential to go into the final third and score goals and good to see her do so well.”

[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News |ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]

Finally, the coach addressed the poor playing conditions at the Dashrath Stadium. He said: “If you continue to play in the same field, the conditions will be pathetic only. But the girls played really well in these conditions as well. I’d like to thank all the players and my staff for their hard work today and it’ll be a big boost for us.”

Anju Tamang’s comments

Anju Tamang – who won the Player of the Match award – dedicated her goals to her teammates after the game. “I’m very happy. It's all because of my teammates that we got this big win. We’ve been trying for so long to score many goals and good to have a good combination. I dedicate to my teammates and the staff as well.”

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and join our community on Telegram.