We should have reached the next round in the Asian Cup, says Gurpreet Singh Sandhu

Indian goalkeeper, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who failed to save a penalty from Bahrain's Jamal Rashid in the final minutes of the game, asserts that the Indian team should have made it to the knockout stages of the tournament. Indian coach, Stephen Constantine, immediately resigned from his post in the wake of the defeat. Gurpreet reckons that the next national coach will have to carry on from where the British coach left off and continue to promote youth talent in the senior teams.

"The federation has to decide on that (appointing the new national coach). But we have come a long way in the last 2-3 years. It is important to win games and develop as a team. We should have reached the next round in the Asian Cup. Therefore, whosoever comes in should focus on improving the footballing culture in our country. The next coach should help India reach the next level. For that the coach should also focus on the supply chain like the U-17, U-19, and U-23 sides. The Indian football team should also have a proper supply chain in place - like the Indian cricket team," Gurpreet told TOI in a recent interview.

"When I joined the team back in 2014-15, the entire team virtually comprised of newcomers. Gradually, we became a unit. The dressing room atmosphere became amazing. That led to good performances against good sides. A few years ago our FIFA ranking was 171 and now it is 97. To make further progress, it is important that we play against sides that are ranked above us.