Shillong: “Angry and disappointed” at India playing out a 0-0 draw against Bangladesh in the AFC Asian Cup qualifying round match, head coach Manolo Marquez said his team has gone two-three steps back since the first match under him last year.
At the end of a scrappy contest between the two familiar rivals, Marquez admitted that his team played a “very bad game” in all departments.
“I am really angry and disappointed. If you ask me, maybe today is the most difficult press conference in my career. Because I don’t want to say all the things that are in my head at this moment,” the Spaniard said after the match on Tuesday night.
“When we started in Hyderabad against Mauritius (in Intercontinental Cup in September 2024) with one training session, till now, before the game today, it was every time better. Today we took two or three steps back,” he said in a hard-hitting press conference.
“Very, very poor performance of the Indian team, in the first half especially. It was better in the second half but not enough. We got one point, that’s the best thing.”
Marquez mentioned the absence of a few injured players but said it was no excuse for the poor show.
“A lot of very important players, starters, they are not here. All of them injured. But this is not an excuse,” he said, referring to the injuries to Brandon Fernandes, Manvir Singh and Lallianzuala Chhangte. First, it’s a reality. But second, we need to improve always. Even playing good football, you need to improve always in all the areas, in defence, in attack, in transitions, in set-pieces, everything. Today was not our day. The best thing is that all four teams are with one point and we have five games. We start from zero in the second round,” he said.
Midfielder Lalengmawia Ralte said his team was “lucky” to have got a draw.
“I also agree that we are lucky not to concede a goal. And we are lucky to get the draw. We could have done so much better.”
Marquez, who took charge as India head coach in July 2024, dismissed the notion that his players are lacking in experience. “This is nothing about experience or not experience. This is how you enter in the game. The game started with one pass back. And the goalkeeper passed the ball to the (Bangladesh) striker. And the striker, without the goalkeeper, he sent the ball out,” he said referring to Vishal Kaith’s mistake early in the game.