Indian football team head coach Khalid Jamil pointed to a lack of concentration and “silly errors” after India’s 4-0 defeat against Brazil in Kolkata, saying his players needed greater belief before facing Uruguay.
“Lack of concentration, I feel, was one, and we made silly errors. We knew what we had to do but faltered with focus,” the India head coach told The Telegraph Online in an interview.
India held Brazil goalless for the opening 27 minutes at the Salt Lake Stadium before Estevao broke through. Pedro added a second before half-time, while Samuel Lino scored twice after the break to seal a 4-0 win.
Belief before Uruguay
Asked what India could carry into their next match, Jamil put belief first.
“India must believe. Vishwas hona chahiye ki ham lar sakte hai (need to trust ourselves to the job),” he said, stressing that the players must believe they can compete.
“We know Uruguay are a very physical team, and they will come hard at us. We need to prepare properly for that aspect, and it will be a challenge for us.”
India face two-time World Cup winners Uruguay at the same venue on October 6.
Praise, but no consolation
Despite the defeat to Brazil, India’s performance earned praise from Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti. “India played it smart,” Ancelotti said after the game during his post-match news conference.
“They defended well, relying on counterattacks. They certainly had their chances and played their game. We had a bit of difficulty scoring. But yes, once we scored the first goal, we started gaining control gradually,” he added.
Ryan Williams and Manvir Singh stood out in attack, finding gaps in Brazil’s defence and making dangerous runs into the penalty area. Williams’ movement helped create several of India’s best openings.
This refreshing approach stood in stark contrast to Jamil’s usual template, where the Indian team tries to find a goal and then sits back to defend in large numbers.
Will they be able to continue with this approach against La Celeste? Only time will tell.
When Jamil was asked about his tête-à-tête with the Italian maestro, he said, “He offered words of encouragement, (applauded our effort),” Jamil recalled.
Khalid Jamil has spent almost his entire career in Indian football. Born in Kuwait, he played in midfield for Mahindra United, Air India, and Mumbai FC, and represented India 40 times before injuries forced him to retire in 2009.
Thereafter, he began his coaching stint with Mumbai FC’s under-19 team. His biggest breakthrough came at Aizawl FC, which he led to the 2016-17 I-League title. They became the first Northeast club to win India’s top division.
Jamil then went on to coach East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, followed by spells in the Indian Super League, before taking charge of the national team.