Updated On: 28 January, 2023 10:04 AM IST | Rourkela | Ashwin Ferro
However, a confidence boost for skipper Harmanpreet, who beat the goalkeeper for the first time in the tournament off his drag flicks, should keep the hosts in good stead

Manpreet Singh
India’s Olympic bronze medal-winning captain Manpreet Singh admitted on Thursday that while his team enjoyed their goal glut against the Japanese, it will be a different ball game against the gritty South Africans in their 9th to 12th place classification match on Saturday. India beat Japan 8-0 on Thursday with skipper Harmanpreet Singh (45th and 58th minute), Abhishek (35th and 43rd minute), Mandeep Singh (32nd), Sukhjeet Singh (59th) and Manpreet (58th) being among the goals.
“South Africa have some good players and we cannot afford to give them any scoring opportunities. Today, we created many chances in the first two quarters, but also made an equal number of mistakes and that’s the reason we could not score in the first half. But in the second, we did well, both in field goals and penalty corners, and that encouraged our players to step forward for a high press and we got so many goals,” Manpreet told mid-day on Thursday night.