There's no room for complacency: India U-16 football coach

Despite an impressive three-nil victory over a strong Palestine in the first match of AFC U-16 Qualifiers, India U-16 team coach Bibiano Fernandes said that there is no room for complacency going into the next clash against hosts Nepal at the Halchowk Stadium on 22 September.

"There's no room for complacency," Fernandes said. "Nepal are a strong side and we know each other with both teams having played in the recently concluded U-15 SAFF Championship final," he added. "They will be backed by a partisan crowd and it will be a challenge for us."

"Everybody saw what we're capable of but we can't afford to be complacent," he reiterated. "We had an ideal start in the tournament but the target is far away. We aim to continue the winning momentum and prefer to take one match at a time," he stated.

Bibiano also mentioned that India won't start as the favourites even after getting better of their rivals twice in the recently-concluded SAFF U-15 Championship. "We won't have any advantage over Nepal. Although we beat them twice recently, it won't have any effect on tomorrow's game and everyone should start afresh."

He vented his confidence on his squad and showed his faith for "creating quite a few opportunities against Palestine."

While India registered a comfortable victory in the opening match, Nepal went down fighting by a solitary goal to Iraq in their first match of the Group D.

-ANI