Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], Dec 15 : India U17 women’s head coach Thomas Dennerby said that the side has to work hard on the fitness levels ahead of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
“It is extremely important to work hard on fitness levels. It is important that you feel strong in the player’s tunnel and feel that you are ready with all that training behind you. I hope to see the test results keep getting better by October next year and it will show the players that they are physically, technically and mentally ready,” All India Football Federation (AIFF) quoted Dennerby as saying.
Dennerby from Sweden comes with a rich experience of coaching the senior women’s teams of Sweden and Nigeria FIFA Women’s World Cup, Olympic Games, European and African Championships.
The India U17 women’s team is currently in Mumbai, along with Sweden and Thailand competing in the U17 Women’s Football Tournament 2019, which is also Dennerby’s first taste of international-level action since his appointment as the Indian head coach.
“As compared to the previous places where everything is already developed coming to India is thrilling and challenging. If we can do something good with this team it will be something new for this country. To help a country like India to have a successful World Cup would be very exciting,” Dennerby said.
“The mental part is one of the things we need to work. The girls haven’t played a championship before. Whatever you do the first game of the World Cup will be the first for these girls and we can’t change that,” he added.
When asked about are the girls feeling to much pressure playing in front of the home crowd Dennerby said: “Pressure would be if I would have asked them to sing in a concert in front of 30000 people because that’s an act which they haven’t ever done. But they are footballers, and you are probably best in playing football. You have other people around you to guide you and pick you — they won’t pick you if you’re not ready for it. If you are good enough to be picked, you are good enough to handle the situation.”
India will next take on Thailand in the competition on Tuesday, December 17.
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