After three consecutive defeats, India has virtually no chance of qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup to be played in South-East Asia next year, but coach Bob Houghton is undeterred and looking forward to the challenges the team faces in the future.
India takes on Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Wednesday and after a 0-3 reversal in Kolkata, the odds are stacked against Houghton's young team, but he prefers to take the game as an opportunity to test his players against the best in Asia.
"It would be a huge challenge for the team. Saudi Arabia rarely loses at home. Even major European teams cannot guarantee a win there," the Englishman said in New Delhi on the eve of the team's departure to the Saudi port city.
"We will have to play in 40 degree celsius temperatures. The ground would be hard and dry and the stadium is huge."
But Houghton, who took China to the 1998 World Cup finals, sounded undaunted.
"The team has made a lot of improvement recently and we would like to continue the progress and win some matches. We need to create a winning mentality," he said at a press conference last night.
Even though India is almost out of the running to make it to the championship to be held in Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam, the coach said it would not stop the team from taking the remaining qualifiers with full seriousness.
"It is the Indian national team that will take the field. It would be an important result for us and there will be no experimentation."
Despite the defeat, the Kolkata match showed that India had made some rapid strides during Houghton's short stay here. The team played with a lot of self-belief and attacking fervour, which was missing in the 6-0 and 3-0 defeats to Japan and Yemen respectively.
Houghton is also taking the long delay in the appointment of his coaching staff in his stride.
"One should understand that getting the good people we require is not that easy. The individuals we have been looking at are all employed elsewhere and they may not be willing to quit that and throw their hat in the ring to be my assistant for three years," he said.
Savio Madeira and Mauricio Aphonso have functioned at different times as assistant and Houghton also lauded the work done by fitness coach Pradeep Dutta.
"The Federation is looking at the issue and it would be settled soon. There is no dispute or problem in this regard," the coach clarified.
Houghton was aware of India's drought in front of the opposition goal but hoped that the situation would improve in Jeddah.
"Unfortunately, one cannot organise the ball in the back of the net. We created several chances in Kolkata but failed to take advantage. That is why strikers are so valuable in football and command such a high price."
