NEW DELHI: A historic second successive qualification for the AFC Asian Cup has made Sahal Abdul Samad confident of the Indian national football team ushering in a 'new golden era'. The midfielder is assured in playing a major part in it as India qualified for the Asian Cup in style having beaten all three opponents in their group in the third and final round of qualifiers in Kolkata. "I am still young and I really look forward to being a part of Indian football's golden era now. I am really happy about how we have been approaching the matches," Sahal said. India defeated Cambodia and Afghanistan before thrashing Hong Kong 4-0 on its road to the Asian Cup, where India will now aim to take the next step in hopefully progressing out of the group stages.
Sahal felt the upcoming extended domestic season in Indian football will serve as a cornerstone in preparation for the Asian Cup which is scheduled for 2023.
"As players, we all need game time. The longer the season is, the better a player gets. That gets you into the rhythm for football," Sahal commented. IANS
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