Singapore U-20 head coach Syed Azmir expressed praise for the Indian side's physicality and discipline following two closed-door friendly matches.
Singapore's under-20 men's football team recently completed two closed-door friendly matches against India at the Centre for Sports Excellence, serving as preparation for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 qualifiers. India won the two encounters with scores of 3-0 and 1-0.
Despite the defeats, Singapore head coach Syed Azmir stressed that the primary focus was on player development and performance rather than just the results. "We wanted to test the players against strong opposition, see how well they could execute our principles under pressure and assess different combinations within the team. It was also important to give the players international match exposure and develop their understanding of the intensity, discipline and decision-making required at this level," Azmir said. He added that the team aimed to leave India better prepared than when they arrived.
Azmir commended the host nation's performance, noting their competitive nature across both fixtures. "What impressed me most about the India under-20 side was their intensity and physicality. They were aggressive in their approach, competed very well in their duels and were able to maintain that intensity throughout both matches. They were also well organised and disciplined in the way they played," he observed.
Highlighting India's preparation for their upcoming qualifiers, Azmir pointed out that the matches provided his squad with an essential benchmark. "You could see that they have been together for some time and are preparing seriously for their AFC qualifiers. For our players, it was exactly the type of opposition we wanted. They punished our mistakes and forced us to make decisions quicker, which gave us a very good reference of the level we need to reach," Azmir concluded.
Reporting sourced from The Hindu Football. Photo courtesy The Hindu Football.