Asian Cup qualifiers: India eye CAFA Cup repeat in Singapore

India resume their quest to qualify for an unprecedented third successive Asian Cup finals in Singapore on Thursday.

- Dhiman Sarkar

India head coach Khalid Jamil (L) with forward Vikram Partap Singh at a media conference in Singapore on Wednesday. AIFF

A barren draw followed by a defeat, the goalless and soulless campaign is in need of resuscitation. India will have to do that with little football in their legs. They have done it once but if the CAFA Nations Cup was a rehearsal, this is the real deal.

Predictably, Khalid Jamil and Vikram Partap Singh were asked whether the lack of football has affected preparations. The head coach and forward deflected them as best as they could at Wednesday's pre-match media conference. "The CAFA Cup (in Tajikistan) was useful in that regard," said Jamil. "The players are professionals and will have to take responsibility." Singh said they have, doing training work at home and at national camps.