India start their bid to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup on June 11 when they take on Oman at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru in the first leg . The Blue Tigers have won five of their nine home games since 2013, and would be hoping for nothing less than success in the first qualifier match.India were promoted by six spots to 141 in the latest FIFA rankings, but face a tough match-up against Oman in a group which also consists of Iran, Guam and Turkmenistan. Oman won 5-1 the last time they faced India in 2012, but India would be on a high after their recent first round win against Nepal over two legs.India’s top goal-scorer, Sunil Chettri, will have to bring his A-game to get past the Omani goalkeeper, Ali Al Habsi, who has played in the English Premier League. The defence including the skipper, Arnab Mondal, needs to be resilient to counter any threats from the opposition frontline.Earlier this week at a media interaction, Sandesh Jhingan (Kerala Blasters FC) spoke about India’s chances against Oman and the positive influence of Coach Stephen Constantine on the rest of the squad.When asked about the stern test that India are up against this Thursday, Jhingan chose to be cautious and positive in his response saying, “Against Oman, we need to be realistic and optimistic at the same time. Having possession for any team always matters but it doesn’t always guarantee you success”.He added, “It’s important to remember the instructions – both when you have, and don’t have the ball. It’s a tough group. Oman are a very good side. But if you want to dream, you should never be afraid. We need to believe in the system, our abilities. The entire team needs to dream big.”A positive result against Oman would provide India with a confidence boost for the matches to come as fans eagerly await for a great contest.
