A 10 man U-20 Indian Football team registered a historic win of 2-1 against Argentina in the COTIF Cup, in Spain on 6 August. Coach Floyd Pinto describes as one of the “biggest days for Indian Football” as they shock the 6-time U20 World Cup champions Argentina.
India stunned the most successful team in FIFA U20 World Cup history, Argentina 2-1 despite being reduced to 10 men in their final match of the Mini Mundial Sub U-20 men football tournament.
Team coach Floyd Pinto expressed the joy of victory saying, “this victory will definitely earn Indian Football more respect in the world of Football. It opens up a window of opportunity to test ourselves against the best in the world on a regular basis.”
According to the coach, Deepak Tangri’s goal was one of a sheer determination while Anwar Ali’s free-kick was of the highest order in the match.
Also read: FIFA World Cup 2018: What pushed Argentina to brink of World Cup elimination?
After the loss against Mauritania U-20, it was a massive boost for Pinto’s side. “The loss provoked us to rethink the way we played against high calibre opponents,” said coach Pinto.
Interestingly, this win comes weeks after national coach Stephen Constantine criticised the Indian team’s performance at the U-17 World Cup, describing it mediocre and the hype surrounding as unjustified.
Indian politician and a former professional shooter, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore congratulated and wooed the historic victory earned by young players.
WELL DONE @IndianFootball U-20 team!
As the nation slept, our champs made history by defeating Argentina 2-1 in @Cotif! This is a sure sign that India’s sporting future is in very safe hands. #INDvARG #BackTheBlue
— Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) August 6, 2018
