BENGALURU, 26 Jun: Lallianzuala Chhangte, the mercurial winger, said on Monday that India should face Kuwait with a positive mindset in their last league match of the SAFF Championship despite sealing a semifinal berth.
India and Kuwait, with six points apiece, have already entered the semis, and will face off on Tuesday to determine the Group A topper.
“Kuwait is a very good team, and we are aware of that. But we are going to face them with the same positive mindset, and will look to win. Like the coach said, the higher or lower ranking does not matter to us as we will approach every match with the same mindset,” said Chhangte.
India have been largely impressive in the tournament, defeating Pakistan 4-0 and Nepal 2-0 to maintain a clean sheet so far.
Chhangte attributed it to the team’s ability to execute plans on the field.
“The team is gelling really well on and off the field. We have a great bond. The main reason is that we have been able to put into practice what we have been taught during the training.
“We have been working on several things like coming through the wings and giving crosses, and they are coming off really well for us,” he said.
Chhangte was satisfied with the effort against Nepal despite India getting stretched during a 2-0 win.
“Coach has told us that we need to make a difference even when we come out of the bench. Our first half was not very good but we improved in the second half and played more aggressively. We will be trying to maintain a positive attitude on the field,” he added. (PTI)