India U-17 chief coach Luis Norton de Matos has admitted that there was too much of a difference between India and Ghana and the result against the Black Starlets was on expected lines.
Matos made these comments while speaking at the post match press conference after India completed their Group A engagements in the FIFA U-17 World Cup on 0-4 against Ghana at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium on Thursday.
“After two hard games at this level I knew it would be complicated to play against Ghana. Ghana to me were the strongest team in the Group. They have very fast players, all of whom can decide the fate of the match,” he maintained.
“We were physically very tired at the half time. When you are physically drained out, your brain does not work and you commit silly mistakes. I am very proud of my boys,” he stated. “The difference between the two teams was too big.”
Sanjeev Stalin said that “there are a lot of positives” which the team takes back from the World Cup.
“The fans cheered us. We are youth team and there are other tournaments in the future which we intend to play including the senior World Cup,” he pronounced.
Ghana scored the opening goal minutes before half time when captain Eric Ayiah struck home on the rebound after India goalkeeper Dheeraj Moirangthem parried Sadiq Ibrahim’s low cross into his path in the box.
Ayiah would go on to double Ghana’s lead seven minutes after the break, finishing first-time from Edmund Arko-Mensah’s cutback pass in the Indian box.
A pair of late goals from Richard Danso and Emmanuel Toku helped the Black Starlets secure top spot in the Group.
