To take part in a four-nation tournament in Manaus, Brazil, India women football team head coach Thomas Dennerby announced a squad of 23 players. The tournament is a part of the team’s preparation for the next year’s AFC Asian Cup, where India will face Brazil, Chile and Venezuela.
India will face world No. 7 Brazil, which will be its first time, who finished runners-up at the 2007 World Cup. “Brazil is a really good team,” said Dennerby. “No other team, since I have arrived, has tested our defence as much as Brazil will do next week.”
“In the second game, Chile is another extremely technical side, but with all the hard work we have been doing, we have also raised our levels. The game against Venezuela will also be a particularly tough one for us,” he added.
India will start their campaign against Brazil before taking on Chile and Venezuela. Brazil’s squad will include legends like Marta da Silva and Formiga Mota.
“They have a very good squad with stars like Marta and Formiga. The girls are all looking forward to it. It’s the first time that they will play a team of such stature, and it will be a good experience for them all,” Dennerby stated.
“For sure, when we meet them, we need to thank them for being the role models for football that they have been. They have shown that you don’t need to quit football when you are 30-31. It’s all about performance and keeps playing as long as you can. They are super good role models,” he added.
“I always tell the girls to show respect for all the opponents. They may be ranked number one in the world or number 105, but we need to show everyone their due respect,” said Dennerby.
