Sunil Chhetri: India’s Performance No Match to Atmosphere at Salt Lake

New Delhi: Disappointed with India's performance in their FIFA World Cup qualifier game against Bangladesh, captain Sunil Chhetri has vowed that the team will continue to work hard on their game.

On Tuesday, India played hard-fought 1-1 draw against much lower-ranked Bangladesh in a Group E Asian Qualifiers tie for the FIFA World Cup at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

Taking to Twitter, Chhetri on Wednesday also expressed gratitude to the fans who turned up in large numbers to support the Indian team against Bangladesh.

"We couldn't deliver a performance to match the atmosphere at Salt Lake last night, and the dressing room is very disappointed about it. We couldn't capitalize on the chances we got, but this is a process on the pitch and in the stands. You turned up, we'll keep attempting to," Chhetri tweeted.

In what was a must-win game for the Indian team, Bangladesh took an early lead in the 42nd-minute courtesy Saad Uddin. It was only in the final moments of the game that center-piece Adil Khan scored the equalizer to save the hosts the blushes.

After the game, India head coach Igor Stimac admitted that his team conceded a "silly goal" against Bangladesh and that they have a lot to work on ahead of the next set of matches.

"Bangladesh was resilient. We did not react well and conceded a silly goal. India is trying to play modern and technical football. There is still much more to do," Stimac told reporters at the post-match press conference.

Backing his young players, the Croatian 1998 World Cup bronze medallist said: "We need to stay optimistic. We have shown we have the confidence to play against anyone." IANS

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