When Thierry Makon struck the right post, he gave Indianfootball a much needed boost. Thehat-trick of wins in the Nehru cup could not have come at a better time. It was a great start to the Wim Kovermanregime. For four teammates who play inthe state, the final was a test of their character as fortunes fluctuated everyminute.
Francis Fernandes, midfield star in the team felt they hadnothing to lose and everything to gain. He said the coach had made it veryclear that they had use their natural speed, but also in a cool manner withoutgetting too excited. When the match hadto be settled over penalties, the confidence surged. He said “In a penaltyshootout, it is a matter of luck. We knew it would turn our way.”
Clifford Miranda, his teammate felt all the pressure was onCameroon given that they were highly ranked in the FIFA list. All the attentionhe said was focused on Cameroon which helped them a great deal. The shortpassing that characterised their game in the tournament suited their style. Theshoot- out was an emotionally draining experience for Lenny Rodrigues. He said “When we had to take the penalties,everyone was nervous. During the camp we had a similar exercise and everyone shotout. Our coach gave us the confidenceand we shot well in the finals.”
For Subhasish Roy Chowdhury, the reserve goalkeeper theshoot- out was a tight affair. He said “When we went into the shoot- out Isomehow knew we could win it. The support of the crowd was phenomenal. I waskeen on going on to the ground and taking some of the shots but our maingoalkeeper did a fantastic job”. Thecoach he felt was very good, very disciplined and was focused on taking theteam forward.
When Clifford wasasked if this team had the capability of making it to the World Cup, he advisedcaution. He said “Winning one match against Cameroon does not make us acontender for a spot in the World Cup. We need good coaching, camps and goodsustained preparation. It is a journey we need to take one step at a time. Letus not set such unrealistic goals.” The road may be long but a beginning hasbeen made and the overwhelming feeling has been one of growing confidence inones skills and the need to play more to sustain this momentum.
