Set to kick off their AFC Asian Cup campaign with India vs Australia at Qatar’s Ahmad bin Ali Stadium on Saturday, Hyderabad FC right-back Nikhil Poojary expresses his excitement about participating in his debut Asian Cup. Poojary, a winger turned defender, emphasizes the honour of representing India and acknowledges the special significance of this tournament for him.
“It’s an absolute honour to represent India in any match and because this will be my first Asian Cup, so that’s special for me,” said Poojary on the eve of the match to Telangana Today.
As one of the trusted players for national team head coach Igor Stimac, Poojary highlights the team’s preparations, citing good training sessions and a practice game. He notes the recovery of players with niggles and mentions the collective focus on both fitness and tactical aspects.
The squad had some good training sessions and one practice game between ourselves. The ones who came with niggles have recovered well and the rest of us have been working on both fitness and on the tactical aspect,” he revealed.
In this fifth qualification for the AFC Asian Cup since its inception in 1956, India, ranked 102, faces a challenging group with heavyweights Australia (25), Uzbekistan (68), and Syria (91). Poojary acknowledges the tough competition but emphasizes the team’s commitment to playing at their maximum capacity for the best results.
Despite the challenging odds on paper, Poojary points out that 17 out of the 26 players will be experiencing their first Asian Cup, emphasizing the valuable experience they will gain. As they brace for formidable opponents, including Australia and Uzbekistan, Poojary remains optimistic about the team’s effort and determination in the tournament.
“Uzbekistan are also one of the best teams in Asia and it will be a tough game, but there will be no lack of effort from our end,” he concluded.
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