Future augurs well for India: Coach

Mandalay, April 10 

The Indian women’s football team missed out on an opportunity to qualify for the third round of the 2020 Olympic qualifiers, but head coach Maymol Rocky lauded the performance of her side, saying the girls displayed “maturity beyond their age”.

The Indian team, with an average age of 21, needed a win to top Group A but squandered the lead twice to play out a 3-3 draw against Myanmar to bow out of the competition on Tuesday.

“These girls are warriors. It was evident that they gave more than their cent per cent against Myanmar. They displayed footballing maturity more than their age,” said Maymol. “I can proudly say that this team has the ability to dominate some of the best teams in Asia. They have shown time and again what they can do when they play to their strengths,” she added.

In the second round of AFC Olympic qualifiers, the Indian women’s team finished on seven points from three matches, the same as Myanmar. But the hosts managed to scrape through to the next round on better goal difference. — PTI