“At the start, we were all a bit nervous and under pressure, but we grew more confident as the game went on. We began shakily because it was our very first match and we must be mentally stronger in our upcoming games,” said Rattaphong.

“Facing Lebanon (on Saturday) will be a challenge, as they are coming into this competition on the back of a long preparatory camp. We faced them recently, and they have a cohesive team that is technically very sound, with good goalscorers, so we will need to be at our best in our next game.”

India head coach Mohd Faisal So’od, while ruing the lost opportunity to start the competition with a victory, pinned the defeat on first-day jitters and the lack of experience within the squad.

“I think the boys started quite well, and things were going as planned, but the minute we conceded the first goal, the team strayed from the game plan, which usually happens due to inexperience,” explained So’od.

“I think we need to address some issues in our defence before our next game, and hopefully, we can turn things around. I also hope the squad will be calmer in the next game and take things slower.”