India will be looking to continue their winning run and will aim to clinch the top spot in their group when they face South Africa in their final group stage match in the Junior Hockey World Cup on Monday. This is the first time India and South Africa meet at the junior level.
After hammering Canada 4-0 and England 5-3, India just need a draw against South Africa to ensure the top spot and qualification into the next round. Even if India were to lose this match they will still qualify because they have a goal difference of six as compared to South Africa's zero. India will have to lose by a really big margin to not qualify but with India tipped as favourites to win this tournament that is highly unlikely.
England did scare India a little in their previous match when they took an unexpected lead but India responded well by scoring five goals. India did concede two unnecessary goals later on in the match, courtesy the fouls that resulted in two yellow and two green cards. Coach Harendra Singh said India will be using the match against South Africa to iron out their flaws.
"We have to accept that they are youngsters who wait four years for a big tournament so excitement will always be there. But the fouls were unnecessary. We need to control our emotions. Better that it has happened here but we can't afford such mistakes in the knockout stage," the Indian Express quoted Harendra Singh as saying.
Leading up to the match against South Africa, Indian captain Harjeet Singh is confident that his team can continue their winning run, but are not taking South Africa lightly.
"After the match against England, we are in the third gear of our process. Once it is made perfect, we will start thinking about our strategy for the knockout games. We believe in keeping things straight and simple. That's our mantra for handling all rivals as one should believe in himself. It's true we have never played against the Proteas in junior hockey, but we aren't taking them lightly. In fact, we are more concerned about our own confidence," the Indian captain was quoted as saying.
Where to watch
South Africa vs India is set to begin at 8:00 PM IST
India: TV:Star Sports 4/ Star Sports HD4. Live Streaming:Hotstar
International: Live Streaming:Olympic Channel
