By Perzcy Andrews,
AIFF Media Team
 

KATHMANDU: India U-18 Head Coach Floyd Pinto admitted that his team “need to step up their game” from their last match – India’s tournament opener against Bangladesh in the SAFF U-18 Championship in Kathmandu which ended goalless. India are slated to take on Sri Lanka in their last group league match, and need a draw to qualify for the semi-finals.
 

“Looking back at our last match, we are not happy the manner we kept the ball. We have been working a lot on keeping the ball, and constructing attacks. We need to show confidence against oppositions who defend deeper, and need to have the confidence to play the ball much better,” Floyd maintained a day prior to the Sri Lanka match.
 

The match against Sri Lanka is slated to kick-off tomorrow (September 25) at IST 2.45pm, and will be live streamed on https://mycujoo.tv/
 

“I am sure the boys will improve against Sri Lanka. They are capable of playing much better football. We need to create chances and get the goals. The goals are crucial in our quest to qualify for the semis. We aim to score as many as possible, and proceed to the semis as group winners,” Floyd explained.
 

Sri Lanka had lost their opener against Bangladesh 0-3.
 

The good news, however, stays that Goalkepeer Prabshukhan Singh Gill who had to be stretchered early in the first-half against Bangladesh and had to hospitalised courtesy a “nasty head injury,” is stable.
 

“All the reports are normal. But as it’s a head injury, we need to keep him under our observation for the next 48 hours. We look forward to him playing a part in the later stages of the Championship,” the coach informed.
 

Floyd who had a look at Sri Lanka in their match against Bangladesh from the stands commented that the islanders “played a good game of football.”
 

“They tried to keep the ball, much unlike the opposition who preferred to kick it long. They were down by an early goal, and had their chances and should have pulled it back post the half-time,” he felt. “They created chances. They have some good dribblers, and nippy players. We cannot ever take them lightly.”
 

“At the same time if we can keep better possession of the ball, and construct attacks the manner we have been planning to, we can nullify them.”