Bengaluru, Dec 31 Joakim Alexandersson made a thumping start to his coaching career as head coach of the women’s national team as India dominated Maldives 14-0 in the first of two FIFA women's friendlies in Bengaluru. What made it special was that as many as eight players made their senior India debut, and the Swede has assured that there will be more in the second game on January 2.
The chasm in quality was obvious from the first whistle. While Alexandersson was happy that most of the things worked according to plan, he is now keen to see what his bench has to offer on Thursday.
"I think we used the game well. We were too big for them. We used the advantage we had and made improvements with regards to moving the ball, using the space in behind, going wide, and using the central line. So yeah, I think overall it was a good performance from us," he said.
"We're gonna use the opportunity to have more inexperienced girls in the next game from the start. We're going to make some rotations. Let's see what they can offer in the next game."
Among the debutants, Lynda Kom Serto proved to be the most impactful, scoring four goals. Those who have followed the striker from her younger years would label it as a routine performance despite it being her senior debut. Lynda first made headlines when she scored two goals in the SAFF U15 Championship as a 12-year-old in 2017. She was the MVP and top-scorer in the SAFF U18 Championship in 2022, and was India's number nine at the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup later that year.
Lynda formed a good partnership with fellow senior striker and Odisha FC teammate Pyari Xaxa, with the duo scoring half of the team's goals.
"Lynda performed very well, I think. She was good tactically also, we talked about her before the game," said Alexandersson.
The 19-year-old said, "I'm very happy to score four goals. This was my first match in the senior team. I want to dedicate these goals to my family, coaches and teammates. I want to score more in the coming matches. These friendly games are useful for us as they help us get better as a team."
Neha, who was named the AIFF Promising Women's Player of the Year in July, also netted a brace on her India debut. So did substitute Kajol Dsouza. Rimpa Haldar, who set the attacking third on fire with her dribbling skills, scored her first goal for the country after some brilliant build-up play.
Anticipating that Maldives will learn from their faults and try to be more compact in the second friendly, Alexandersson wants to see quicker and slicker play with the ball. The fact that they didn't concede any goals after the 66th minute is evidence that they can be a decent defensive unit.
"I want us to speed things up even more. I think our opponents are going to be better in the next game, so we have to be even quicker when it comes to the decisions with the ball," said Alexandersson.
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