New Delhi, March 12: The head coach of the Indian women’s soccer team, Thomas Dennerby, said on Saturday ahead of the SAFF Under-18 Championship that the team has a number of good players who could make it big in the years to come.
Announcing the 22-member squad for the tournament, which kicks off in Jamshedpur on March 15, Dennerby said: “We have a lot of good players in the squad, and these girls have a really bright future for women’s football in India.” The 62-year-old, who also coaches India’s senior women’s team, feels that the football education that young girls have received from an early age makes her prospects bright.
“The good thing about them is that they have received a proper football education from a very young age. The key now is to continue with that. They need to continue to train properly on a regular basis,” said Dennerby.
“I have seen many players who are supremely talented at the age of 15 or 16, but then they disappear. And many who are averagely talented become the best players in the world. So it is important to practice a lot in de organized way, no matter how talented you are,” said Dennerby, who guided the Swedish women’s team to the quarterfinals of the Olympics and the Nigerian women’s team to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The coach feels that playing in a tournament like SAFF will give the girls the experience of playing under competitive pressure.
“Although this is not the fully finalized World Cup squad yet, the SAFF tournament will be crucial for the girls here. Normally, if we play friendlies, we don’t care much about the results; the focus is more on the progress we have.” . done as a team in different areas of the field,” Dennerby said.
“But a tournament is a tournament, and the results are important. There will be some pressure on the players, but it will be good to play under that pressure.” The Indian team will face Bangladesh and Nepal in the SAFF U-18 Women’s Championship.
Schedule: March 15: India vs Nepal
March 19: Bangladesh vs India
March 21: Nepal vs. India
March 25: India vs. Bangladesh
The escuadron:
Goalkeepers: Hempriya Seram, Melody Chanu Keisham, Adrija Sarkhel.
Defenders: Astam Oraon, Nisha, Ritu Devi, Purnima Kumari, Naketa, Kajal, Varshika.
Midfielders: Shilky Devi Hemam, Poonam, Subhangi Singh, Priyanka Sujeesh, Martina Thokchom, Babina Devi, Nitu Linda.
Forwards: Naita Kumari, Rejiya Devi, Amisha Baxla, Sunita Munda, Lynda Kom Serto.