Unacceptable to lose to Guam: Chhetri

NEW DELHI: Back in June, India lost 1-2 to Guam, a tiny island with a population of just over 1.5 lakh, in their second World Cup qualifier game. Come Thursday, the national team will take on the 146th-ranked team once again - in the return leg in Bengaluru.

Despite the embarrassing loss in the first leg, Indian captain Sunil Chhetri, who had scored India's lone goal in the game, believes that Guam is beatable.

"Yes, Guam is beatable. We were poor against them in the away fixture. That is not acceptable. It wasn't the ground or that we were away. The primary reason was that we were bad. I am sure me and my teammates won't give excuses such as 'it was windy or it was tough'. All this was there but these reasons were secondary. The primary thing was we did not turn up as a team. It was our worst performance in recent times. The fans abused us and from their point of view, I can understand that. I hope they support us and come in big numbers in Bangalore," said Chettri after his Indian Super League team Mumbai City FC's draw against Delhi Dynamos on Friday.

"When you lose to Iran, one of the best sides in Asia, it is different. We knew we gave it our all, but still could not win," he added.

The 167th-ranked Indian team has lost all its five World Cup qualifier matches and is at the bottom of the table in Group D. The Asian Cup qualification will also be at stake when they take on Guam next week on November 12.

"We have not done well in the World Cup qualifiers. The bare minimum is to qualify for the main qualifiers of the Asian Cup. Out of 40, the last four teams do not qualify. We have to come in the 36 and for that, the next game against Guam at home is going to be very important. I just hope all the players who come for the camp are fully fit and nobody is injured. This is very vital for us. I hope we can combine well."

Apart from India and Guam, Iran, Oman and Turkmenistan are the other teams in the five-nation group. Oman lead the group with 11 points from five games.

The Indian team assembles in Bengaluru on Sunday under national coach Stephen Constantine, who has announced a 25-member strong squad for the forthcoming game.

"We will be joining the camp on 8th. We are aiming for six points in the next two home games against Guam and Turkmenistan. That's all we have. Before our game against Iran, we have to make sure we qualify for the Asian Cup qualification. We have to gain the maximum possible points. We can't depend on the outcome of other matches. It will be a shame if we don't get points and wait for other teams to also not get points. Even after five losses, we still have a chance at Asian Cup qualification and we need to give everything we have. Guam and Turkmenistan, trust me, are not easy sides. We have to be at our best."

The 31-year-old backed Constantine's performance as coach and said he should be given time to find the right combination.

"It's unfair to judge Stephen Constantine in such a short period of time. If it was anybody else, the same thing would have happened because it's difficult. Sixteen players debuted under him. It's because a lot of players left and a lot of new ones came in. As a coach, he does not have the first XI yet. If you see the last few games, we did not have a fixed first XI."

However, Chhetri agreed that onus is on the players as well. "Now we have been together for five camps. We are not so new anymore. We should understand each other much more and be a better unit. I will give my best and I am sure every player is going to do that."

Talking about Friday's game, where his ISL team, Mumbai City FC, had to settle for a draw after Delhi Dynamos' Robin Singh's scored an equalizer in injury time, he said, "Feels more like a loss. It happens. It's just one of those days. It was tough coming away. Delhi had more of the ball. We defended well and played well at counter. We just could not hold for the last seconds. We defended really well. It's not something that we are used to. We are an attacking side. We got our goal and we held well. Just the last 20 seconds made all the difference."