Bhutia-less India face an uphill task

DUBAI, NOV 21: India faces an uphill task in the opening clash against hosts United Arab Emirates in the Group 3 Asia Cup football qualif...

DUBAI, NOV 21: India faces an uphill task in the opening clash against hosts United Arab Emirates in the Group 3 Asia Cup football qualifiers that kick-off at the Al Qattara stadium in the garden city of At Al Ain tonight.India will sorely miss ace striker Baichung Bhutia, the first Indian ever to play professional football in England. Striker IM Vijayan, who scored the fastest goal in the world in 12 seconds against Bhutan in Kathmandu SAF Games, will lead the Indian attack against UAE who start as the favourites in the opener.

The Indian coach Sukhwinder Singh said he hoped to give the other teams a tough fight and that the final line up will be decided only at the last minute.

But UAE is not taking any chances against India as they warm up for their tough fight against Uzbekistan.

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Only one team from the five-nation qualifiers will make it to the Asia Cup in Beirut in October next year. Iraq is the only other team to have qualified so far from Group 1.

India recently lost to Bangladesh in the SAFGames at Kathmandu and would do well to at least draw their opener.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, will hope to continue with their impressive performance they showed against India and Sri Lanka at the SAF Games.The qualifiers, scheduled to commence yesterday, were postponed by a day to facilitate the formal opening of the 14th FIQ World Bowling Championship in Abu Dhabi.

The UAE HAVE practised hard for the qualifier with several newcomers waiting to prove their mettle.

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“We might be technically superior to a few teams here but unless (we) convert this aspect into goals, we cannot say we are better,” UAE’s Croatian coach Jurcic Srecko told reporters.

“I do not want to take any of our opponents for granted. This is football and on any given day any team, however mediocre, can walk away with a win,” he said.

India’s next encounter is against Uzbekistan on Thursday. The next day will witness India clashing with Sri Lanka.

India will take on Bangladesh in the last match on November 29.The other encounterscheduled for the opening day is between SAF Games gold medallist Bangladesh and Uzbekistan and it promises to be an exciting contest.

—PRESS TRUST OF INDIA