Virtually out of reckoning after four losses in a row, a beleaguered Indian football team would look to salvage some pride and put up a decent performance against higher-ranked Oman in a World Cup qualifying round match today
Muscat: Virtually out of reckoning after four losses in a row, a beleaguered Indian football team would look to salvage some pride and put up a decent performance against higher-ranked Oman in a World Cup qualifying round match today.
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India are without a win in their World Cup qualifying campaign, even losing to lower-ranked Guam and pressure has been piling on the players and coach Stephen Constantine who took up the job early this year.
In the five-team group, India are yet to open account and have scored just three goals so far. They face an uphill task against Oman, ranked 102nd in FIFA charts as against the 167th of India, who had emerged 2-1 victorious in the first leg in Bangalore.
Constantine's boys would surely be the underdogs in today's match as Oman are high on confidence after holding the continent's highest-ranked team, Iran, to a 1-1 draw on October 8 at home.
On top of that, the Indians are short on practice as they have lost at least a day's training after being stranded in Ashgabat due to non-availability of flights after their 1-2 loss to Turkmenistan.