Confident India meets UAE

By Avinash Nair

BANGALORE, APRIL 7. Baichung Bhutia-led India is oozing with confidence. And the optimism does not seem misplaced. Indian camp is not taking the much higher ranked United Arab Emirates (UAE) lightly in the first of the Group 8 World Cup football preliminary matches, to be played at the Sree Kanteerava stadium here on the morrow. The group winner advance into the second round of the Asian qualifying round.

Speaking to the media this afternoon, India's chief coach Sukhwinder Singh sounded a wee bit under-prepared. ``We are onto our basics and combinations,`` said the chief coach. ``In modern football there is no fixed strategies - teams try to stop the rivals from scoring goals and then take the chances and score goals -'' said Sukhwinder, who has now been with the Indian team for two years, barring a brief spell wherein for `varied reasons' he opted out paving the way for Islam Akhmedov, to take charge during the Sahara Millennium Cup, in January.

``Roberto Fernandes is back to full fitness and with Bhutia leading the way, ours is a well balanced team,`` stressed the coach. It may be recalled that Defender Roberto suffered a hip injury during the camp and did not go all out the last few days. With all the 21 players, present for the camp (out of the 23 names - Hardip Sangha and Tapan Ghosh being omitted due to injuries) being registered the coach has a wider pool to choose from. On the composition of the playing XI, Sukhwinder sounded cautious, `` it's yet to be discussed''.

The team however look well blended. Barring a couple of exemptions the composition of the team has been more or less the same for the last two years (Basudeb Mondal being the notable omission) and after a strenuous NFL the players are fully fit. The camaraderie exhibited in the camp is a big step towards lifting the morale and the ready wit and guiding influence of Bhutia's experience in the English Football League second division club - Bury FC - could prove to be the tonic to shoot the country's football graph upwards.

Ancheri as the central midfielder could provide the needed thrust upfront. UAE on the other hand is playing its cards close to the chest. Easily the most fancied side in this four team Group 8 (Yemen and Brunei are the other two), under coach Frenchman Henri Michel, UAE with an average age of 24-25, has every reason to safeguard its reputation. With a preparatory camp of nearly six odd months and a good many practice matches under its belt the team looks well honed.

Manager Abdulla Ali Sultan Ahmed, a playing member of the UAE team in Italia '90, though apolegetic for his non- appearance during the morning's media briefing sounded ``wary of the host'. ``I've high regard for striker Vijayan, who scored a gem of a goal against us in the Asia Cup championship. We can't undermine any team in this league and have a healthy regard for Indian team,`` said the genial manager.

Kazim Ali Abdulla Mohammed is the star forward and the `treasure' is being pampered by both the physio and the masseur, accompanying the team. Yaser Salem Saleh Ali is expected to provide the support to Kazim upfront with brothers captain Abdul Salam Jumaa Anbar and Abdul Raheem Jumaa Anbar initiating the promptings. Moutaz Abdulla Mohd is the first choice goalkeeper with Humaid Fakher Hussain, Fahad Ali Mussabbah Ali and Subait Khater Fayal lending the solidity in defence. But the final composition could well be the ace that coach Michel has up his sleeve. The playing field though much improved with continuous rolling, has a couple of bald spots while the stadium on the whole looks well spruced up. The sale of ticket will commence from 10 a.m tomorrow.

The match is scheduled for a 4 p.m start.

The teams (from):

India: Virender Singh, Prasanto Dora, Mahesh Gawli, Deepak Kumar Mondal, Khangemblem Ratan Singh, Jo Paul Ancheri, Dhanesh KoolothValappil, Sebastian Roberto Fernandes, Khalid Ahmed Jamil, DIas Alberto Jules Claudio, D'Cunha Alvito Rolando Correia, Noel Wilson, Renedy SIngh, Ravi Chikkanna Prakash, Vijayan I.M, Venkatesh Shanmugham, Baichung Bhutia (captain), Rajendra Prasad Singh, Irrungbam Surkumar Singh, Abdul Hakkim and Narsimhan Balaji.

Chief Coach: Sukhwinder Singh. Asst. coach: Brahmanand Shankwalkar. Manager-cum-TD: Krishnaji Rao. Doctor: Ramesh.

UAE: Goalkeepers-Moutaz Abdulla Mohd, Jumaa Rashed Humaid, Saeed Jumaa Waleed Saeed; Defenders: Humaid Fakher Hussein, Fahad Ali Mussabah Ali, Jaleel Abdul Rahman Mohd, Mohd Qassim Jumaa, Mohd Rabee Salim Abdulla, Subait Khater Fayel; Midfielders: Abdul Salaam Jumaa Anbar, Abdul Raheem Juma Anbar, Haider Alo Ali Mohd, Fahad Masoud Ali Masoud, Sultan Rashed Saeed, Mohd Ibrahim Hussain; Forwards: Yaser Salim Saleh Ali, Kasim Ali Abdulla Mohd, Saeed Hassan Salim Al Kass, Mohd Omar M. Ahmed, Faisal Khalil Sebair Mubarak.

Coach: Henri Louis Michel. Asst. Coach: Richard Francis Tardy. Goalkeepers coach: Abdel Latif Laalou. Manager: Abdulla Ali Sultan Ahmed. Doctor: Jalel Ben Habib Ghali. Physio: Mohd Sadek Bedewy. Masseur: Getilio Antonio De Silva. Logistics Officer: Kilany Mohd Abdel Monem. Head of Delegation: Mohd. Obaid Al Daheri.

Referee: Sun Baojie. Asst referees: Zhou Dequan and Chen Chao. Fourth official: Zhou Weixin (all from China PR).

Match commissioner: Zafar Imam (Bangladesh).

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