U16 Championship qualification success was a result of overall preparation, says Taison Singh
India qualified for the 2020 AFC U16 Championship after an impressive outing in the qualifiers which saw them thrash Turkmenistan and Bahrain 5-0 each and then playing out a 1-1 draw against hosts Uzbekistan. India topped Group B and qualified by virtue of a superior goal difference.
Midfielder Taison Singh, who is a mainstay in the Indian U16 side in the past year, has played a pivotal role in India’s recent success story. Sportscafe managed to catch up with the youngster for a brief conversation just after India qualified for the showpiece event.
With the odds stacked against the visitors, Taison and Co. overcame Uzbekistan’s home advantage and played their hearts out to achieve the desired result. The player admitted that the opponents were physically superior but still, the team kept fighting till the very last minute.
“It was a difficult match for us, they were physically fit and we got fewer chances. We found it hard to score goals but we fought for 90 minutes. They (Uzbekistan) had a strong crowd backing them at the stadium which made our job a bit more difficult, but we kept fighting and qualified for the 2019 AFC U16 Championships,” said Taison Singh after the Uzbekistan tie, speaking exclusively to SportsCafe.
India convincingly won the SAFF Championships last month without conceding a goal against the likes of Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri-Lanka. Not only that, the ‘Blue Tigers’ also managed to amass a total of 28 goals during the tournament. As a preparation for the AFC U16 Championship qualifiers, they went on exposure trips to Thailand and Turkey. Taison feels that the result was an outcome of the hard labour they have given in the past few months.
“Yes, we won the SAFF Championships, but the result is not just because of that. Before the SAFF Championship, we went to Thailand for the exposure tour and then we went to Turkey, we played over there. We defeated a team like Fenerbahce with a 6-3 margin. This was a result of an overall preparation,” opined the footballer.
This might just be the beginning of a new chapter in Indian football, but Taison is not trying to be complacent and feels that this is the time to improve and then look for future goals.
“We have topped Group B which gives us a lot of confidence but we have a lot to work do for the AFC Championship. Now is the time to work hard and improve. We want to reach the semi-finals of the AFC Championship. We have worked so hard till now, our aim to is play in the World Cup (U17),” added Taison.
The energetic bunch of boys have flourished under the supervision of Bibiano Fernandes and are currently on a 14-match unbeaten streak. Taison was all in praise for the former footballer and mentioned that the latter made him a disciplined footballer.
“First of all, I have learnt discipline from Bibiano Sir. What to do on the field, what to do outside the field. Then he has guided me how to play between a winger and a right-back and also how to support other players,” Taison added.
This is the 11th instance that India qualified for the AFC U16 Championships and the ninth time in a row. In the last edition, in 2018, the ‘Blue Tigers’ crashed out after losing to South Korea in the quarter-finals, narrowly missing out on a FIFA U17 World Cup berth. The 18th AFC U16 Championships will begin on September 20 and conclude on October 7 in Bahrain, next year.
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