We just want to put our best foot forward against Hong Kong, says India captain Sunil Chhetri

Kolkata, June 13 (IANS) Indian men's football ball team captain Sunil Chhetri stated that his team really wants to win and qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2023 on Tuesday when they will be up against the table toppers Hong Kong at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

The Indian team's final qualification game is also likely to be their most challenging. That's because India's next opponents, like them, are unblemished. The Group D final round match between the top two teams will determine who advances to the Asian Cup 2023 as group winner. Even the team in second place has a good chance of making it to the Asian Cup.

The Indian team going into the game in the best possible form as they have won both their qualifying games so far, with skipper and talisman, Sunil Chhetri scoring three goals so far - showing just why he is so vital for them. Once again, all hopes for qualification would be relying on him.

Ahead of an all-important clash against the Hong Kong side, the Blue Tigers' captain Chhetri said, "I think we're just going to try our best to continue from where we left. Because at the starting of the tournament, the head coach had made very sure that we are playing a tournament that we want to win. There's a big prize at the end of it, which is the qualification for the Asia Cup. Even though we have done good in the last few games, we haven't achieved anything. We have kept all those things aside and just focused on one game. We need to do well, so we can qualify."

"Forget what has happened because no one to help us on Tuesday. Apart from all the technical parts that were already mentioned, we want to make sure, we start fresh and make sure we know exactly what happening. Whatever is happening the last two games it doesn't help us in this game. It's a very big, very important game. And we just want to put our best foot forward because we really want to win," he added.

When asked playing with younger generation in the Asian Cup Qualifiers, Chhetri said, "I'm not sure whether the specialty has got anything to do with me being 37. I'm being honest, it's not even a joke. Me being 37, or Suresh being 20 does not help us in terms of the specialty of this tournament itself. But it's very, very special because we want to win this tournament. And we want to go to the Asian Cup. We were there at Asia Cup the last time and we know the feeling to rub shoulders with the best in Asia is what we want to do. So that's the plan. And that is why this tournament is very, very special for us."