We’re raring to go: Nabi
Members of the Indian national team including Subrata Pal, Clifford Miranda and Mehtab Hossain arrived in Kochi on Sunday for the international friendly against Palestine scheduled on Wednesday.
The players had a light training session under the watchful eyes of national coach Wim Koevermans at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the afternoon and are looking ahead to the match.
“Most of the boys arriving here have scored in their last round of matches in the I-League. That will surely boost their confidence,” Koevermans said.
C.K. Vineeth scored a hat-trick for Prayag United while Francis Fernandes, Alwyn George and Jewel Raja also scored for their respective clubs in their last I-League matches they appeared in.
“It’s a dream come true for me. Till now, I used to stay eager to hear stories from the senior players about the national camp. I need to pinch myself to believe I have actually made it here. But this is just the start. Unless I work harder, I won’t be able to retain my place,” said Vineet.
“The camaraderie in the national squad is what makes you feel special. Everyone looks fit and is raring to go. This is a very important match for us and we need to be on our toes,” AIFF player-of-the-year Syed Rahim Nabi said after the session.
At the conclusion of the session, the squad interacted with blind footballers from Kochi and even played blind-folded with them.
“It is a different feeling when you are blind-folded. You need to sense and feel everything by your side. It’s all about telepathy,” striker Manandeep Singh said.
The Indian team will present a jersey and a ball signed by all the players to members of the blind football club prior to the kick-off on Wednesday.
There have been two changes to the squad of 23 — Joaquim Abranches and goalkeeper Subhasish Roychowdhury replacing Anthony Pereira and Karanjit Singh respectively, both of whom sustained injuries during their club commitments on Saturday.
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