GUWAHATI, Jan 28 - The head coach of the Indian U-17 football team, Nicolai Adam hoped that India will have satisfactory performance in the U-17 World Cup football in 2017 to be played in India. He was interacting with the media persons here today.
The head coach, however, opined that it will not be proper to mention that India will be among top teams but said he will leave no stone unturned to prepare a world class team.
Adam is here with the probable Indian team which will play a trial match against a team comprising of players from the Northeastern States at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium at Sarusajai here tomorrow.
Adam said now he is working with 35 probables at Goa and some more quality players may be included in the camp. He said India did well in the recently held AFC qualifying. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) will send a team of 18 or 19 players to South Africa for an exposure tour and in the month of May, AIFF is planning to host a four-nation championship. In June the probables will leave for Germany and the final camp will start in the month of September at Goa.
Adam informed that he is finding several talented players from the Northeastern region, particularly from Manipur and Mizoram. On Assam players he said, Aman Chetry is impressing him very much. �Aman is a good player. But he got a knee injury during the last foreign tour. Hopefully he will recover soon and will be a part of the Indian team,� Adam said.
He said that the standard of the big football playing nations are far higher than India. Even than if the boys work hard and the whole plan goes on right track, then Indian team may surprise many in 2017 when it will play its first ever football World Cup.
Adam said, the AIFF has a lot to do. The U-15 Youth League has to run in a proper way as it may help in producing and introducing future football stars in the country. He also appealed to the AIFF to set up quality infrastructure and standard training facilities for the youngsters.
The German coach expressed his satisfaction with the Sarusajai ground condition and said it is the best in the country.
The Assam Football Association (AFA) secretary Ankur Dutta said, that they are organising talent spotting camps for the Indian U-17 team in various places of the State and the final camp will be conducted at Tezpur on January 30.
