Dalima Chibber was expressing her way of thinking however the in any other case cheery right-back would possibly as nicely have been talking for the complete Indian crew, whose matches within the AFC Asian Cup have been declared null and void by the continental physique on Monday, following a Covid-19 outbreak inside the squad.
A day after the hosts have been pressured to withdraw from the match after they have been unable to discipline a crew for his or her group stage match in opposition to Chinese Taipei on Sunday, it’s learnt that two extra Indian gamers examined constructive, taking the overall variety of contaminated gamers to 14. The gamers and members of help workers have been stored in isolation on the crew lodge in Navi Mumbai, the place seven different groups and match organisers are staying in a bubble and are on ‘high alert’.
India is just not the one crew whose bubble has been breached. Covid instances have been reported in not less than 5 different groups however in contrast to India, the place greater than half of the squad acquired contaminated, the instances in different groups are remoted.
🚨OFFICIAL🚨
🇮🇳 India have withdrawn from the #WAC2022. All their matches at the moment are cancelled and regarded null and void!https://t.co/sEBQ6hQ5P2
— #WAC2022 (@afcasiancup) January 24, 2022
Five South Korean gamers and officers are down with Covid-19, officers mentioned, whereas on the eve of the match which started on January 20, Vietnam, Japan and China had additionally reported instances.
Philippines coach Alen Stajcic mentioned after the 0-4 defeat to Australia that ‘a couple of players and a staff member’ of their crew have examined constructive as nicely. While not naming the gamers who examined constructive, Stajcic mentioned the Philippines have been pressured to play with out one in every of their ‘key players’ and fielded their ‘number three goalkeeper’ for his or her Group B match in opposition to Australia on the Mumbai Football Arena.
“Look, we are taking extreme caution. We are on high alert within our team and doing everything we possibly can,” Stajcic mentioned. “I was really heartbroken for the Indian team last night… to see how much effort they put in preparation for the tournament and the fact that they’re hosting the tournament, I was really heartbroken. From a football perspective, this is a massive lost opportunity to show their skills.”
Indeed, it is a ‘lost opportunity’ for India. After years of preparation and taking part in pleasant matches in numerous nations, the Asian Cup was an opportunity to gauge their standing within the continent. The crew had proven promise of their match opener in opposition to Iran and the match in opposition to Taipei, ranked 16 locations above India at world quantity 39, would have been an excellent indicator of their progress.
Now, as different groups battle it out for continental glory, the hosts are locked inside their lodge rooms in isolation.
Road forward
All India Football Federation (AIFF) common secretary Kushal Das mentioned there have been a couple of constructive instances among the many lodge workers that was involved with the gamers. “It’s unfortunate but this could have happened to any team, anywhere,” Das mentioned.
He added that the Asian Cup was simply ‘the first step’ for girls’s soccer in India. The crew’s coach Thomas Dennerby, in the meantime, will return to the under-17 girls’s aspect, his unique project earlier than he was moved to the senior crew, for his or her World Cup, which will even be performed in India in October. The gamers, in the meantime, will subsequent compete on the Hangzhou Asian Games in September.
“Thomas will be there for the U-17 World Cup. He will remain an integral part of women’s football coaching at all levels at least for this year,” Das mentioned. “For the senior team, this was just the beginning. This women’s team has shown promise, we have many tournaments coming up, including the Asian Games.”
Before that, they’re prone to compete within the home league. However, that too has been affected due to the pandemic. The Indian Women’s League (IWL), which was final held in 2019-20, was set to happen in April however owing to the third wave of the pandemic, the states haven’t been in a position to end their very own leagues, Das mentioned.
“The states were supposed to complete by February 15, but now we aren’t sure when they will be able to finish it. So, the IWL might have to be delayed although we will still try to hold it in April,” Das mentioned.
For now, nevertheless, he’s hoping the Asian Cup will proceed with none additional incidents, a sentiment shared by many, together with South Korea’s Ji So-yun, who was named the Player of the Match in her aspect’s 1-0 win over Myanmar on Monday.
“This tournament is not like an ordinary tournament due to the situation,” the Chelsea midfielder mentioned after the match. “All teams are going through difficulties. The important thing is to finish the tournament safely.”
