KOLKATA: Former India international striker Shabbir Ali is very pleased that the India under-20 team managed to script a historic 2-1 win over Argentina under-20 side in a match of the under-20 COTIF Cup in Valencia on Sunday.
"This is a very good result. This will definitely be a huge boost for the youngsters and I hope this result motivates them to perform even better in the future. The exposure the players are getting will be extremely beneficial for them," said Shabbir Ali.
This was the second meeting between India and Argentina. In the previous meeting, Argentina had defeated India 1-0 in a match of the 1984 Nehru Cup in Kolkata.
Ricardo Gareca
had scored the winner for Argentina in that encounter.
Shabbir Ali was part of the Indian team in that Nehru Cup match. "Apart from
Diego Maradona, it was almost the entire Argentina side that went to win the 1986 World Cup. No one expected the way we performed on that day. It was a great display," added Shabbir Ali.
Another former India international marksman
Biswajit Bhattacharya
, who also represented India in that match, praised the India under-20 players.
"Argentina are a powerhouse and dominant force in world football. So, beating them at any age-group level is definitely praise-worthy effort," said Biswajit Bhattacharya, adding, "The Argentina side that we faced was preparing for the 1986 World Cup. We put up a brilliant fight on that day. However, we lost and this India under-20 side won, so full credit to them."
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