Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu expressed surprise at India's high-profile friendlies against Panama, Brazil, and Uruguay, while head coach Khalid Jamil defended leaving out key seniors to build a new team.
Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu admitted he was caught by surprise after it was announced that India would play Panama, Brazil, and Uruguay in succession.
Speaking on the eve of the clash against Panama, the shotstopper revealed his initial reaction to facing such big-name teams. 'It was unexpected, to be honest. Like everyone else, we wanted to see if this was actually happening,' Gurpreet said.
With the high-profile matches now a reality, Gurpreet emphasized the need to make the most of the opportunity. 'We must make sure that we use this opportunity to gain something out of it. On paper, these games look really good because of the opponents we are facing. But every single game is special when you get to play for your country. It does not matter who we face. We want to win,' he added.
Ahead of the match, head coach Khalid Jamil also defended his decision to exclude senior players Sandesh Jhingan and Lallianzuala Chhangte, stating his intent to assemble a 'new team.'
'Yes, I have left some seniors out, but it does not mean that they cannot make a comeback. We are thinking about building a new team. We have young players who need to play more matches,' Jamil explained.
Reporting sourced from The Hindu Football. Photo courtesy The Hindu Football.