India meets Thai, banks on home advantage in Pre-olympic qualifier

Chennai, Mar 13 (UNI) Banking on the home advantage, India will hope for a winning start when they take on higher-ranked Thailand in the home match of the Pre-Olympic men's qualifying football match at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium here tomorrow evening.

There is one thing common between both the teams. Both of them have lost their first set of matches and would be going all out to outwit each other.

Nothwithstanding the absence of key medio Chitrasen, who has been ruled out due to an injury, the mood in the Indian camp is buoyant on the eve of the match.

A win on the morrow would be the ideal tonic and a morale booster for India's next two home matches against DPR Korea (March 28) and Busan Asian Games silver medallist Iraq on May 16.

Despite losing their away match against Iraq 0-3 recently in Jordan, India could draw some positives from that contest, where the team performed exceedingly well, if one goes by the averment of Irish coach Colm Toal.

Though the team management had no clue about how the Thais would perform, Toal was optimistic of a good showing by the Indian Olympic under-23 squad.

His message to the boys was simple --- Look at the positives and forget about the negatives.

''We will take some positives from that match (in Jordan) when we meet the Thais,'' he said and added that the team would work on its strengths.

''Though Chitrasen is injured, we have other boys to perform,'' he added.

He said, ''We will take it match by match.'' The boys have the skills to pose a challenge to the Thais, who had lost to DPR Korea 0-1 in their home match.

The Thai team, who wasted no time in having a round of practice session soon after their arrival, on the other hand, would be keen to erase the bitter memories of their clash against DPR Korea, and put up a good show to gain a psychological advantage.

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