Stephen Constantine: I feel we should have done better in the first leg

BySaketh RVK, SportsCafe Editor

06/05/2016

The Indian national football team arrived in Guwahati on Saturday for the return leg of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against Laos to be played on June 7. Head coach Stephen Constantine reflected on the first leg, saying the team could have done better than the 0-1 victory away on Thursday.

After Jeje Lalpekhlua’s strike in the 56th minute in the first leg, the home team go into the game against Laos with a one-goal advantage. Speaking exclusively to the-aiff.com about the match, Stephen Constantine said, “We went there (Laos) for a purpose. We have achieved an away win though I feel we should have done better.”

“We now focus on the return leg and need to finish it off.”

The coach chose not to divulge any of his plans for the second leg, and said that it is too early to predict the starting line-up.

“It is too early to predict changes in the starting line-up for the 2nd leg. Everyone has a job to do, right from the players on the pitch to the bench,” said Constantine.

“In such a hectic schedule you always turn to your support staff. The medical staff - Gigi George and Sreejith Kamal have just been excellent,” Constantine said, praising his support staff.

Jeje Lalpekhlua, the hero from the match in Vientiane said, “Every one of us has a responsibility and we need to carry it out”. He downplayed his heroics from the match, saying, “It feels nice to have scored in the 1st leg, but I was just doing my job.”

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