India Can't Wait To Rectify Mistakes Made During Contest Against Bangladesh: Sunil Chhetri
Talismanic India striker Sunil Chhetri on Sunday said that his side cannot wait to make amends of the mistakes they had committed in the goal-less draw against Bangladesh in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying round contest in March. India were held to a 0-0 draw by lower-ranked Bangladesh in their opening Group C match of the Asian Cup qualifying third round match on March 25 in Shillong, which left head coach Manolo Marquez fuming. India are up against Hong Kong in their second match -- an away game -- on June 10 in Kowloon. Chhetri said the match against Hong Kong will be a chance for the team to redeem itself.
"The initial feeling after the Bangladesh game was that we let ourselves down, let the country down. After I saw the replays, I thought we, as a team, could have done so much more. It was a huge opportunity to take the lead in the table, playing Bangladesh at home. We should have done so many things better," Chhetri said.
"Ending up with just a point, I think we players have no one else but ourselves to blame. We didn't turn up the way we should have. We've talked about it, we've seen the videos, and we can't wait to rectify it," the 40-year-old said in a release from the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
The Indian team is currently training here and will depart for Pathum Thani on May 28 for an away friendly international match against Thailand on June 4.
Angry and disappointed at the result against Bangladesh, Marquez had made it clear that his team needs a lot of improvement if they are to qualify for the continental showpiece.
"We need to improve a lot because I felt that the team was going forward in every FIFA window except the last," Marquez said, alluding to the match against Bangladesh.
"It's true that