Hosts India undergo first practice session for FIFA U-17 World Cup

Courtesy: IANS

New Delhi: The Indian football team had its first training session on Wednesday after arriving here for the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup, under the watchful eyes of head coach Luis Norton de Matos.

The boys, who arrived here yesterday from Goa, went through the paces at the Conscient Football grounds at neighbouring Gurgaon, as they started their preparations for the opening match against United States of America on October 6.

De Matos emphasized on tactical training along with focus on set pieces among other technical matters. The players looked to be high on confidence as they followed the drills on the guidance of the head coach and other technical staff.

"The level of enthusiasm in the camp is very high. We are prepared and the team has grown exponentially in the last couple of months. We plan to show the world that we are on the same page as the rest of the teams in the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 India," said de Matos.

"The Indian team is raring to go and make history," he added.

India have been drawn in Group A with USA, Colombia and Ghana. Colombia, the first team to arrive in India, were also undergoing a practice session at the same training ground.

India play USA on October 6, before locking horns with Colombia and Ghana on October 9 and 12 respectively at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the Capital.

"A unique moment is upon us. It is an amazing moment in Indian football's history and everyone associated with it should be proud of it," said de Matos.

"The FIFA U-17 World Cup is a very big moment for every player as they will all become heroes. They will become the first Indian players to be part of a FIFA World Cup. These players will inspire generations to come."