'We are better than what people think'- Gurpreet Singh Sandhu

The Indian team sank on the ground as the Iraqi player Bashar Reshan slotted the winning penalty in the semi-finals of the King's Cup on Thursday.

Although the team knew deep inside that it was not a normal loss, they gave one of the traditional Asian powerhouses their for money and it took Iraq seven penalties to get the better of India.

It's a hard result to digest," Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to AIFF after the match, who, even in that difficult moment, was the first to congratulate Iraq goalkeeper Jalal Hasan. "I think we could've won the game. Unfortunately, the second penalty which was awarded was questionable."

“But again, we did much, much better than what I think people would have thought. And we just need to believe in ourselves. We have to be a bit more patient and positive, which we were," he added.

Leading the Indian team in the absence of Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet dived the right way for both penalties in the normal time but he had no luck in the penalty shootout.

After winning two consecutive shoot-outs in the SAFF Championship semi-final and final against Lebanon and Kuwait, it was the third time unlucky for India's record clean sheet-keeper.

Opening up on areas to improve as a team, Gurpreet said, “We need to be humble and also make sure that we don't give away chances the way we did. Unfortunately, Iraq got their chance to come back and win the game.

“We just need to make sure if we want to be one of those big teams, we don't give away opportunities even if it looks like it's something out of our control. We need to make sure that we don't give any chances whatsoever to other teams if we want to be in those high numbers in Asor in the world," said the 31-year-old.

The opportunity to right the wrongs is just two days away as India will meet familiar faces Lebanon in the third-place play-off on Sunday, September 10.

"We need to build on this performance because we have another game coming up. We need to make sure that we rest well, eat well, and get ready for that," Gurpreet said.

Having been part of the national team setup since 2011, there are not many better judges of India's development over the years than the custodian. The Blue Tigers have come a long way, and there's still a long way to go.

“Most of the boys in this bunch have played together for a long time. They are maturing at the right age, peaking at the right time. I've said this before, and I'm saying it again that we are much better than how people think we are."

Naorem Mahesh Singh's confident finish after a sumptuous brilliant build-up and the fact that the Arabian Gulf Cup champions could not break the Indidefensence in open play is a testament to that.

"The sky's the limit for us. We just need to believe in ourselves as a team. We are working day in and day out to make sure that we, as a team, keep on pushing our limits, break the barriers, and move forward in Asia because that's where we want to be," Gurpreet concluded.