U-17 World Cup: Sunil Chhetri - I want India to attack more

The skipper of the senior India team wants the junior side to play without the fear of suffering a defeat…

Sunil Chhetri opines that the Indian team participating in the Under-17 World Cup must attack more as opposed to focusing on the defensive part alone.

This statement comes after went down 3-0 to on Friday in their opening Group A fixture.

“It was only after we conceded from the spot that we came out of our shell and started playing the way we are supposed to. Obviously, I am not the coach and have always left the technical part to be strategized by him, but speaking from a fan's point of view, I would have wanted them to attack more, enjoy and be fearless - simply because they are capable of playing in that manner,” Chhetri wrote in a column.

He elaborated by mentioning that the mission in the World Cup for the Indian team was to impress by putting on a good show as opposed to being concerned about the score-line.

“The second half was an entirely different ball game as we created chances and were willing to take them on. The moment we started keeping the ball in the second half, we looked a different team altogether.

“I reiterate, I am purely speaking as a fan and am not as a technical man. Our mission in the World Cup is to give a good account of ourselves and play freely without being enveloped by pressure. There is nothing to lose,” he mentioned.

Chhetri urged the team to put on an attacking display which would give them an opportunity to score against the heavyweights.

“Don't ever think about the fear of conceding, or whether our opponents are better. In football, things may not always happen if you sit back and wait. It's up to you to go and grab it.”