India's head coach Manolo Marquez shared his thoughts on the current state of the Indian football squad and expressed confidence that his team has the potential to overcome Syria in their last Intercontinental Cup match on 9th September, though he acknowledged it will be a challenging contest. The FC Goa coach turned 44 on Saturday, 7th September.
The 56-year-old said that the face-off against Syria will be tough, but he doesn't want to offer any justifications. The Syrians have 10 players competing in Europe or South America, which naturally makes them a more formidable side.
“I am quite satisfied with the attitude with which the guys have been working. What’s most important at this stage is to understand where we are at this moment. It will be a difficult game against Syria, but I do not want to give any excuses. I want to speak about reality. They have 10 players who play in Europe or South America, and of course, such opponents will be stronger,” Marquez told the AIFF Media team.
The Spaniard's tenure as head coach of the Indian squad commenced on Tuesday 3rd September as India took on Mauritius in the Intercontinental Cup opener at Gachibowli Stadium. The match concluded in a goalless draw, marking a lacklustre performance from the Blues. The team could only muster a single shot on target against their lower-ranked rivals.
Marquez's support staff is diligently preparing the players for the challenges to come. Assistant coaches Benito Montalvo and Mahesh Gawali, along with goalkeeping coach Marc Gamon and fitness expert Jose Carlos Barroso, collaborate with the squad during practice sessions, in the gym, and in strategy meetings to ensure the entire team is in sync.
“We’ve worked together for a long time, Benito, Marc and Jose, and Mahesh is also an exceptional coach. All of us are working together in the same direction. We are all aware of our strengths and weaknesses, and are building this team accordingly,” he added.