AFC U23 Qualifiers: India up for ‘do-or-die’ against Tajikistan

Tashkent [Uzbekistan]: India U-23 will meet Tajikistan in a do-or-die fixture after shrugging off their first match loss against defending champions Uzbekistan.
India and Tajikistan will lock horns on March 24. The match will kick-off at 5:30 pm (IST). “It’s a very crucial game for us. It’s more important given the current standing of the table,” head coach Derrick Pereira said.
“You might say it’s do-or-die for us. We’ll surely try to put in our best performance and see what awaits us,” he added.
Looking back, Pereira felt “inexperience” cost the team. After fighting valiantly in the first 45 minutes, the Indian side eventually went down 0-3 against Uzbekistan.
“Uzbekistan were physically stronger and technically better than us. Our inexperience cost us the match. We have got two chances in the first half. Had we converted, we could have got an edge,” he explained.
Unlike other groups in the qualifiers, Group F comprises of only three teams which makes every single game hugely crucial in their pursuit of a berth in the final, which is scheduled in Thailand next year.