By Debayan Mukherjee
AIFF Media Team

WEST BANK: Very rarely in Football a rival Coach despite winning the match showers lavish praise on the opponent. But this one came directly from the Chinese Taipei Coach Yen Shih Kai.

“India played good football. The goal scored from the set-piece was amazing. They are a very good team. They read the game well too. We could hardly make any inroads in the first half,” Kai admitted post-match. “It’s just that we capitalised on the two chances we got. It was indeed a hard fought win,” he added.

Tai was answering journalists at post-match Press Conference of Chinese Taipei’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup against India. Taipei’s Yu Hsiu Chin and Lai Li Chin scored in each half to cancel out Sasmita’s Malik gem of a free kick in the 53^rd minute.

Kai’s rival counterpart, Indian Women’s Coach Anadi Barua said: “I still can’t believe we lost. It may sound stereotype but deep down inside I know that we played good football.”

“But at the same time football is all about goals. You play good football, dominate your opponent but don’t score, you are bound to lose. Both Myanmar and Taipei capitalised on the opportunities and then played clever football,” he opined.

Captain Tuli Goon added: “The feeling is terrible. When you know that on another day, with a little bit of fortune you could have won, it hurts. We were never outplayed throughout the 180 minutes that we played so far.”

“But goals win you matches and somehow we just couldn’t find the target. The only feel good factor is that we gave a good account of ourselves in a Group which can be termed as the Group of Death.”

India play Palestine in their last Group D engagement. Chinese Taipei and Myanmar – both on six points from two matches – play the decider on the last day too.

“It was nice to be cheered by the locals. We need to keep our spirits high against Palestine and play entertaining football. We need to find the target,” quipped striker Kamala Devi.

Though Palestine sit at the bottom of the table of Group D conceding 15 goals in two matches, Barua is not keen on taking them lightly. Rather the Coach wants to sign off on a high.

“No team can be taken lightly. They have lost two matches and will come hard at us. We have played well and want to end things on a high. We aim to finish on a good note.”

The kick-off against Palestine on Saturday (May 25) is at IST 7.30pm.