There is a mix of hope and expectation as the senior Indian men’s football team goes through the paces in the unrelenting summer heat, trying to put its best foot forward in the continental competition — the 18th edition of the AFC Asian Cup which starts early next year.
Bhubaneswar, home to Indian Super League side Odisha FC, has offered its facilities to the national squad that has been picked mainly from the latest season of the country’s top league (ISL).
Former Croatian World Cupper Igor Stimac, who has helmed the Indian team for the past four years, has started the final lap of the preparatory process that will see the country begin its Asian Cup campaign in the second week of January in Qatar.
The journey, which will witness seven months of preparation and competitions, will be crucial for the Indian team as it will take on the higher-ranked sides Australia, Uzbekistan and Syria in the group league stage of the Asian Cup’s final leg.
The Indian men’s football team enjoyed its brightest phase in the middle of the previous century, finishing fourth in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and lifting the Asian Games crowns in 1951 and 1962; it had its glorious moment in the Asian Cup, too. That happened almost six decades ago when it was the runner-up in 1964 in Israel. After the Asian Games bronze in 1970, India’s appearance on the podium completely disappeared at the continental level.
Renewed vigour
The Indians will find renewed vigour as the national federation, under the new regime of administrators, has redrawn the roadmap of resurgence encapsulated in ‘Vision 2047’. The Asian Cup performance will be the first phase in the evaluation of the country’s ambition to get into the top-10 in the continent. The Blue Tigers have managed to qualify for the final stage of the Asian Cup competition on four occasions in the past four decades (since 1984). But they have not been able to progress beyond the group league stage, finishing at the bottom of the standings almost every time. The biggest challenge is to break the league stage jinx.
“It is going to be a tough battle for us. It is much tougher than four years ago (2019), but we will be there to fight every step of the way. It is all about the time in front of us to prepare well, obtain the work that is needed, and be at the strongest possible point by next January,” said Stimac on the Asian Cup mission.
The Intercontinental Cup at Bhubaneswar, which brought the players together for a three-week camp, is the first among the many competitions lined up. Stimac’s men booked a berth in the final with wins over Mongolia and Vanuatu, the second victory made possible by Sunil Chhetri’s strike.
Preconceived notions
“In modern football a lot of teams which are treated as underdogs have shown us how to challenge preconceived notions. One name that comes immediately to mind is Morocco (in the recent FIFA World Cup), which has shown that if you are a good unit you can challenge any team. That should be our target.
“On paper it looks a bit more difficult than last time (2019), but nothing to worry. As far as our message to the country is concerned, we are going to give the best we have and will try to be as good as possible,” has been captain Chhetri’s assurance.
The talismanic striker, who will be making his third Asian Cup appearance, seemed to draw confidence from ISL’s contribution in the growth of Indian football.
“This is the opportunity to test the maximum players. After the SAFF championship, I hope our coach (Stimac) will have the scope to identify the core players and build the team over the next few months,” said AIFF secretary-general Shaji Prabhakaran.
After the preparatory camp, which began in the second week of May, the players will bond together till the conclusion of the SAFF championship in the first week of July.
“Hopefully, we will get 18 to 20 matches in the next few months to prepare ourselves for the big occasion (Asian Cup). Our target is to be in the top-10 in Asia by 2026 and we are working towards it now. We have already moved up five places (FIFA ranking 101). We expect to get into double digits pretty soon and cross our best ranking of 94 by the end of the Asian Cup,” said Prabhakaran about the immediate objective.
The Indian team, including the under-23 youth side, will compete in seven tournaments till November and Prabhakaran felt that it would give sufficient match practice.
“We are not ready yet. We are using the long-duration camp to improve our passing, finishing and patterns in the final third. We are also working on the mental strength of the players.
“We have a very experienced sports psychologist (Shayamal Vallabhjee) who is helping the players understand what we (coaching staff) are expecting from them,” said Stimac, stressing on the need for the players to stick together for a longer period as they hardly get enough match time with their clubs when it comes to crucial positions in attack, midfield and defence.
