Loss is a big part of the game, no matter how good you are, no matter how much you practiced. As a coach and a player, the most important aspect of the event is the learning, if you can introspect the game and watch it as a lesson you have emerged as a winner. Whether it’s a tactical error, a strategic miscalculation, an interpersonal tussle, or just plain bad luck – a defeat makes us more conducive to accepting feedback.

Football is a great teacher and teaching doesn’t happen when we raise the trophies but also when we stand on the side and clap for our competitors. Learning to accept defeat is not a sign of accepting fate but the motivation to do better next time. Sports teaches the spirit of emerging from a loss, together with your teammates and coaches – this life skill is crucial not just in football but in life. I have witnessed the attitude of learning from mistakes lead to increased confidence and self-esteem, and reduced anxiety which helps every player performance at his/her peak.