“Exposure trips in order to get MATCH EXPERIENCE at the highest level are the only means to get the Indian team prepared for the under-17 World Cup. We will continue doing this and we will even intensify it. That means more international matches from now on against National teams from all over the world and even against older teams,” Indian youth coach Nicolai Adam.
German Nicolai Adam was brought in by the All India Football Federation in 2015 to guide the Indian junior team in the 2017 FIFA under-17 World Cup which the nation will be hosting. Adam comes with the right credentials, having worked wonders with the Azerbaijan youth setup, guiding the country’s under-19 team to the UEFA Elite level. A former DFB (German Football Association) International Development Officer, Adam has scouted far and wide, unearthing a batch of youngsters, who have done admirably well during exposure trips to Germany, Norway and West Asia.
His team’s first real competitive test came in the recently concluded Under-16 Asia Cup in Goa. The Indian boys, who are set to be the mainstay of the squad in next year’s FIFA showpiece, finished last in their group, showing a worrying penchant for conceding late goals. There were still a few positives and Adam talks to Sportstar about his assessment of his wards and his football philosophy.
Question: What is your impression of the Indian team’s performance at the recent AFC U-16 Championship?
Answer: I’m satisfied with the way we presented ourselves to the Indian football fraternity. I’m not satisfied with the overall result. I know and I knew before that we are good enough to compete in Asia at the highest level. If I can turn back time, I will pick U-19 club teams in Germany and Norway as opponents during our exposure trips (to give the boys more confidence).
What are the plus points that you will be taking away from this tournament?
You can’t buy experience! Official international matches, a highly competitive match experience, is what we got and that’s a big plus. We know we are not easy to beat.
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Denne historien er fra October 22, 2016-utgaven av Sportstar.
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