India has a slim chance: Sukhwinder

MUMBAI, MAY 6. India has a very slim chance now to progress further in the World Cup soccer 2002 qualifying round after first losing to UAE 1-0 and then drawing 3-3 to Yemen in away matches, Indian coach Sukhwinder Singh said here today.

The Indian team returned from Sana'a via Bangalore and will be camping here before departing for Brunei.

In the four team group India is placed third with five points while UAE leads with nine points and Yemen is in second spot with eight points, each team having played four matches.

Sukhwinder said that Indian captain Baichung Bhutia, who was unfortunately given a red card against UAE and did not play against Yemen, would definitely have made a difference because from his position he could have exploited the weak link in the Yemen defence.

Sukhwinder said that for India to reach the next round UAE would have to draw both its games against Yemen and India would have to win both its matches against Brunei which will bring both teams on 11 top with points. However, to beat UAE on goal difference, India will have to score 17 goals in the remaining two matches without conceding any.

UAE beat Brunei 12-0 and 4-0, but if Yemen wins one match and draws another then India has not even an outside chance, he added.

The Indian team will be flying to Brunei on Wednesday. Only one team goes ahead to the next round of the qualifiers.

- UNI

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