Yupia (Arunachal Pradesh) [India] May 14 : Two wins, a dozen goals scored, none conceded. Bibiano Fernandes and his boys have thoroughly enjoyed their time in the Land of the Rising Sun so far.
To add to it, the sensational support from the fans at the Golden Jubilee Stadium has made it extra special as the players create new memories every passing day, as per a release from AIFF.
"The credit goes to the boys, the way they performed again after the first game," said Fernandes in the post-match press conference after defeating Nepal 4-0 on Tuesday. "They showed hunger and desire, what we wanted to see. It was a good win as well, and a good performance in the end. We want to stay grounded and look forward to the semi-final."
"Nepal wanted to put pressure on us, so they came out aggressively. But I knew our boys would come back stronger into the game, and they did exactly that. Once we got the goal, we were fine."
On Wednesday, after the victory that ensured top spot for India in Group B and set up a semi-final clash with Maldives, the Blue Colts held a morning training and recovery session under heavy rain at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Naharlagun. While the boys have been in Arunachal for the past two weeks and it had been pouring intermittently, this was their first training session in the rain, and it turned out to be a pleasant experience for everyone.
While India are now theoretically halfway through the tournament, being a couple of wins away from the trophy, Fernandes reiterated that keeping the same approach in every game is what's going to bring the trophy.
"What matters every time we come to the field is how we approach the game. I'm happy with the boys so far. After we win the game, anyone can say it was easy, but we never bring that thought before the game. So, we approach every match similarly, with the mindset to win," said the 48-year-old.
Striker Omang Dodum, who scored his second goal in as many games, concurred with the coach's words. "We just follow our coach's gameplan diligently. We don't consider any team easy or difficult. In such international matches, every country gives their best. So, we will approach the Maldives match with the same mindset," Dodum told the reporters after the match.
Midfielder Danny Meitei Laishram continued to be the top scorer of the tournament, adding another goal after his hat-trick against Sri Lanka to take his tally to four. Fernandes lauded the team's effort and credited the entire squad.
"Danny scored good goals in the last game, but I believe it's a team effort. I am concerned about the entire team. If Danny is scoring goals, that means our team is also playing well," he said.
But the player who bagged the headlines in the win over Nepal was Chaphamayum Rohen Singh. The winger not only scored a brace, his first official goals for India (he had previously scored in two friendly games during India U17's tour of Europe in 2023), but was a livewire down the right flank throughout the 90 minutes, creating multiple chances.
Rohen said, "I feel amazing to score two goals. I gained a lot of confidence after the first goal and wanted to score more. These were my third and fourth international goals for the country.
"It's amazing to see so many fans as well. I would like to thank everyone in the stadium for coming to support us, and also the Arunachal Pradesh Football Association. Please come to the upcoming matches as well. We will give our two hundred per cent in the semi-final. We want to win this SAFF," the Manipuri added."
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