Indian football team’s next target is to be consistent and stay grounded

In what is being seen as a transformative year in Indian football, the senior national team’s ability to stay grounded and consistent on the big stage could have a telling impact, because, it’s easier to reach to the big stage, but difficult to stay there.

Indian football team will face reigning Asian champions Qatar in FIFA World Cup 2026 Round 2 at home on Tuesday.

If Qatar is the benchmark to follow for India, then the Blue Tigers have already secured a famous 0-0 draw against the 2022 World Cup hosts in 2019. At the very start of coach Igor Stimac’s tenure in 2019, India became the only Asian team that year to take a point off Qatar, the side that defeated mighty Japan 3-1 in the 2019 Asian Cup final

However, that odds-defying result was met with two disappointing draws against Bangladesh and Afghanistan that denied India a chance to reach Round 3 of the Qualifiers.

On Tuesday, when India meet Qatar, it will not be so much about what happens in this match, although the stature of the opponent and the yearning to see Sunil Chhetri and Co do well against the best sides would have us fixated on the result, the real test will be how consistent the team stays over the qualifiers.

In that respect, India have made remarkable progress in 2023. Unbeaten at home, Stimac’s men defeated sides like Lebanon and Kuwait back-to-back for the first time earlier this year.

And then came the 1-0 away win against Kuwait in the qualifiers — the first one in 22 years.

“When you play high-level games consecutively without losing, facing Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait three times, Lebanon twice, Iraq and you don’t lose matches and keep clean sheets, it’s quite evident that you are consistent,” India coach Stimac said on the eve of the Qatar game in Bhubaneswar where the Kalinga Stadium is all decked up.

𝗗𝗮𝘇𝘇𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 #𝗞𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺 ✨ pic.twitter.com/lvUSH2g1Z6

— Odisha Sports (@sports_odisha) November 20, 2023

What hampered India’s chances against Bangladesh and Afghanistan were injuries to key players like Sandesh Jhingan, Brandon Fernandes and Rowllin Borges. A notable difference from that time in these four years under Stimac is the growing pool of players and lack of dependability on certain individuals.

The Kuwait win just a few days back was earned in the absence of regulars Anwar Ali, Jeakson Singh and Ashique Kuruniyan.

“At that time, several key players were missing who were at that time very important to us. Now, as you can see, with so many chances provided to young boys, who appeared last season in ISL…we are where we are. We have options if anyone gets injured. We have players who already have certain experience playing for the national team at a higher level. Having that feeling, what is the difference playing in ISL and at the international level. And that’s really precious for us,” the Croatian tactician added.

Stay hungry, stay grounded

With Kuwait and Afghanistan the other teams in the World Cup qualifying group, India are hoping to reach the third round for the first time in history. While 61st-ranked Qatar are 41 spots ahead of 102nd placed India in the FIFA rankings, Kuwait (136) and Afghanistan (154) are well behind the Blue Tigers.

There’s a real chance for sure. But it’s important India stay consistent and more significantly hungry and grounded and not get complacent or distracted amid a newfound respect for Team India in Asian circles.

After Kuwait and Lebanon head coaches, Qatar manager Carlos Queiroz was the latest to wax lyrical about the Stimac and his boys.

“India once had a group of good players. Now, I see a team,” the former Manchester United assistant coach said on the eve of the game.

With such rare effusive praise coming India’s way from different corners and from reputed opponents, there’s a danger of getting carried away. In the end, Indian football shouldn’t forget the reality. Things may have been rosy in their own right in the last few months, but the team still stands in the lower rungs.

To keep his squad grounded, of which 10 members are under 25 years old, remains Stimac’s major challenge. And he is well aware of that.

“A major part of our team is younger people. And sometimes young people get carried away. The coach’s job is to teach them to get back on the track,” Stimac explained. And there are different elements of how you do that. But the coach’s job is not to eliminate people. I, as a coach, never did that. I never gave up on any of my players. I’m here to make them aware if some things are going wrong, that they are going wrong.

“To tell them what needs to be changed or done to make it right and to help them bounce back. I will use…always all elements and instruments available and tools to help my players become better human beings, become better players, so they can influence others inside our environment to help the team.

“That’s why we have been successful in the past two years. That’s why these guys are getting praise from everyone now. But they are the same people they were four years ago, five years ago, you see.”

In what is being seen as a transformative year in Indian football, the senior national team’s ability to stay grounded and consistent on the big stage could have a telling impact, because, it’s easier to reach to the big stage, but difficult to stay there.

Match details and live streaming: India play Qatar on 21 November 2023 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. The 7 PM IST match will be broadcast on Sports18, Sports18 1 and Sports18 3 and live streamed on JioCinema.

SOURCE: FIRSTPOST.COM