Will carry the SAFF Cup experience forever, asserts Suresh Wangjam
Indian footballer Suresh Wangjam believes the experience gained from the recent SAFF Cup win will be carried along his entire career. The youngster played a pivotal role in the title-winning campaign and he even scored the second goal in the final against Nepal, which India eventually won 3-0.
Aiming for a record eighth SAFF Cup win, India started on the wrong foot, with them sharing spoils against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the opening two matches. Critics hit hard on the players and the management, with the Blue Tigers on the brink of elimination from the sub-continental event.
However, the team staged a stunning comeback, as they defeated Nepal and Maldives in the next two matches to qualify for the final. Up against Nepal in the summit clash, the Igor Stimac-coached side hammered their neighbours 3-0 to lift the trophy for the first time since 2015.
Sunil Chhetri scored the opening goal for India in the 48th minute, while midfielder Suresh Wangjam doubled the lead a couple of minutes later. Meanwhile, Sahal Abdul Samad sealed the deal with the third goal in the dying minutes of the game.
Suresh, who played a pivotal role in the campaign and also scored a goal in the final, stated that he will carry the experience gained in the SAFF Cup, throughout his career, especially how everyone stuck together and displayed team spirit and self-belief, after the initial hiccup.
“We were not off to a good start, and there was disappointment all around. It was a do-or-die situation for us, everyone had written us off. That was from there when we turned the tables – all stuck together – the senior players, ourselves, the technical and support staff, and obviously the Coach,” said Suresh Wangjam, as reported by AIFF.
“The team spirit, the togetherness, the self-belief helped us win it. We will carry the experience with us forever,” he added.
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