What has been your talk to the boys after the victory against Oman?

I have told them to stay humble, and dream big. From my experience I asked them to forget the game against Oman, and concentrate on the following one. We achieved something nobody really expected us to. So I want our boys to enjoy their football, and play their hearts out.

Expectations have risen after the result against Oman. How is the team dealing with it?

We need to be realistic because UAE are technically a far better team than Oman. So let’s not get overdosed after winning one game. Our boys played brilliant football against Oman, and that’s all we are looking for in the next game.

Do you spot any extra pressure?

I won’t allow them to feel any sort of pressure. We came here to gain some experience, and to check where we stand against strong oppositions. Nothing more than that.

What are your views about the UAE as an opposition?

They are a properly developed team. Their movements on the pitch and the passing are extremely impressive. So we need to be extra careful about not losing positions early. They lost their first match and that will keep them highly motivated, which means we need to be prepared for a bigger challenge. We need to be aware that keeping tight lines, and not dropping too deep will be crucial against UAE.

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India, who have been clubbed in Group E along with Oman, UAE and the Kyrgyz Republic, begin their campaign against Oman in their first match on October 24.

“Every country has talented youngsters, and U-23 players who are already playing at the senior level for their respective countries, and so do we. But we need to find the balance in this team,” Head Coach Igor Stimac stated.

“The good thing for us is that we already had a number of players from this bunch of players here who have been a part of the National Team, and are aware of what kind of weather is to be expected, and also the expectations from the fans,” he added. “Our aim is always the same – to go out and win every game. But it will depend on the approach we take depending on information about the strength of our opposition.”

From the current contingent, Suresh Singh, Lalengmawia Ralte, Rahim Ali, and Dheeraj Singh were part of the triumphant SAFF Championship squad, while Akash Mishra, Amrajit Singh, and Narender Gahlot have been part of the Blue Tigers under Stimac in the past.

“I’m quite attached to these guys. They are the players who are giving us extra energy on the bench. They are younger and it’s much easier to work with them. You need to understand as they are young, we can mould them as they learn fast,” the Coach expressed.

The U23 squad will be having their first practice session today (October 21).

India’s fixtures in the qualifying leg are as follows:

October 24: Oman vs India.
October 27: India vs UAE.
October 30: India vs Kyrgyz Republic.

The 23-member squad for the U23 Qualifiers is as follows:

GOALKEEPERS: Dheeraj Singh, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, Mohammad Nawaz.

DEFENDERS: Narender Gahlot, Alex Saji, Hormipam Ruivah, Asish Rai, Sumit Rathi, Akash Mishra.

MIDFIELDERS: Suresh Singh, Amarjit Singh, Lalengmawia, Jeakson Singh, Deepak Tangri, Rahul KP, Komal Thatal, Nikhil Raj, Bryce Miranda, Princeton Rebello.

FORWARDS: Vikram Partap Singh, Rahim Ali, Rohit Danu, Aniket Jadhav.

Head Coach: Igor Stimac.

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The sentiment stays the same among the tourists from other countries – from Portugal, Russia, The Netherlands, the UK, USA, and others. “The Cup needs to come back to our hotel. We will be cheering for you guys.”

The Blue Tigers, however, understand the job is not yet done – there’s still a match left to be conquered – the SAFF Championship final against Nepal.

“We are not allowing complacency to step in. We are aware of what we need to do. There is a very tiny line between being confident and overconfident and I am keeping a close eye that we don’t cross that line,” Head Coach Igor Stimac stated.

“We are rising as a group, as a team and as a big family playing better football with every given day. We have to be patient, keep working hard and be confident. Nepal are a known opponent to us, as much we are to them. We take confidence in having won the last two matches. But I reiterate, we are not overconfident,” Stimac added.

The Blue Tigers had their practice session earlier today (October 15, 2021), and the to and fro travel was extremely turbulent – the Indian Ocean being extremely rough which led to some of the boys experiencing nausea.

The team news stays that three players have already been ruled out of the final – besides, Farukh Choudhury (ACL injury), Brandon Fernandes (quadriceps injury), and Subhashish Bose (suspended owing to a red card) are not available for selection.

Assistant Coach Shanmugam Venkatesh maintained that the boys need to “enjoy the final.”

“Nepal are an extremely competitive team, and the motivation of playing for both teams in a final is quite normal. We respect Nepal as a team. We have told our boys to enjoy the final,” Venkatesh, who won two SAFF Championships as a player, uttered.

“It gives us the satisfaction that there are some boys from the U-17 World Cup batch who are settling in fast into the Senior Team. The players realise the importance of the final and the character on display after the first two games have been exemplary. Youngsters like Lalengmawia, Suresh, Yasir have played a huge role on and off the pitch, while the seniors have gelled well with Sunil, Gurpreet, Kotal, Subhashish, and Bheke leading from the front to keep the flag flying high,” he expressed.

“We are ready to give our best in the final. We understand that it won’t be an easy match. We are a young team, and the coach wants to build up a team for the future. I am eager to play my part as much as the others,” Lalengmawia maintained.

“The medical staff needs to be lauded. Playing 5 matches in 13 days is tough on the players, and there is no way it would have been possible had not the medical staff worked incredibly hard to keep them fit,” Venkatesh explained.

Stimac informed that though Subhashish will be missed, he is working on an able replacement. “Subhashish will be missed for sure because he is a left-footed player. He was our sole option as a left central defender at this stage, but we are working to replace him,” the Head Coach informed.

The team captain indicated that the boys are working on the recovery process. “We didn’t start the manner we were expected to. To win a game that was a must-win for us amidst hostile conditions was really satisfying.

But we know the work is not done yet. So we are working on the recovery process, trying to eat, sleep and rest well and step on the pitch and win a trophy.” The kick-off against Nepal on Saturday (October 16, 2021) is at IST 8.30 pm and the match will be telecast live on Eurosport.

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The players have been quiet since the Blue Tigers were held to a 1-1 draw by a 10-man Bangladesh. Fortunes in international matches fluctuate fast, and the boys have learnt it the hard way.

“We need to look forward. There are three matches left in the group stage. We were punished in the last match, and we need to improve,” Head Coach Igor Stimac stated.

A lot of football is still left to be played in the tournament. But on the surface, the five-team format suggests that every match is a must-win for India to ensure a smooth passage to the final. Of course, there will be mathematical calculations as every team moves ahead. Sri Lanka, India’s opponents, are, however, yet to win a match – having lost both to Bangladesh and Nepal.

At the official pre-match press conference, Stimac said: “It’s about patience, it’s about attitude, and it’s about the approach.”

The coach did hint that he may bring in some changes in the starting XI after having a final look at the condition of the players. “We still have 24 hours to go. We will have a clear picture about the players in the evening after we finish the training session. At that time, we will get to know how the players are feeling, how much the legs are loaded,” he averred.

Stimac has made no displeasure about the final result against Bangladesh. “We have analysed our game against Bangladesh and we are not happy with the final result. We are two points from what we have to have in our kitty.  So we need to do everything possible to win against Sri Lanka. We respect Sri Lanka as a team. I feel they could have two points from the two games they played. But they don’t have any, and that’s football,” he averred.

So what is the recipe moving ahead?

“We need to be better defensively. If we can’t score the second goal, we need to make sure that we don’t concede the second goal. Man marking is extremely necessary when u plays serious football, and we just cannot keep giving the balls away,” the coach maintained.

The players had a morning stroll and exercise session on the beach, while the practice session was slated for the afternoon.

Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu felt the most pertinent task at the moment is “to minimise the mistakes.”

“It’s not so easy when we come here. Playing at 4 pm isn’t easy. Most of us have been here before with our respective clubs. We were here for almost two weeks, and are used to the conditions. It isn’t unfamiliar.”

“We know that we can’t commit mistakes. That’s the most important aspect, and we need to make sure that we use everything to our advantage. We need to go out and do our job – which is to win.”

Referring to a question about the physical play from the Lankans which has been a talking point, Stimac added: “They play whatever they can to stop the opponent from approaching the final third. That’s allowed in football. In fact, all the teams here have the ability to fight. They are not giving up and that’s what Sri Lanka have been doing well – fighting till the final whistle.”

“We need to find a way to get past them, and we can do it by quick passing, with a lot of movement, moving into the final third. We will have our chances and we need to be clever and be patient against them.”

Central defender Chinglensana Singh summed it perfectly. “We need to play to our strengths, and do our duties to the best of our abilities which will get us the desired result.” The match against Sri Lanka kicks off at IST 4.30 pm tomorrow (October 7), and it will be telecast live on Eurosport.

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“We will be playing a style which will bring us results,” he averred. Referring to the two matches played on the inaugural day, the Head Coach said, “There was one counter-attack by Nepal in their match against Maldives, and they won the game despite Maldives being the better side. We don’t know what each game will bring to us on the plate. We will adapt to everything that is thrown at us.”

“We are trying to provide all necessary information to our players about our opposition, and motivate ourselves. We came here four days before the tournament, and we have trained on artificial and natural grass. We are taking good care of the players, and explaining to them the possible situations,” Stimac informed.

“The players know what I’m expecting from them, and what their duties are. So I’m very confident and excited about this tournament and I really expect to enjoy this tournament and not to have any nervousness. We are determined to represent India in a good manner and deliver what is expected from us on the pitch.”

Bangladesh, India’s opponents in the first match sit pretty on 3 points after their solitary goal victory against Sri Lanka in the inaugural match of the Championship.

Talismanic captain Sunil Chhetri stressed on everyone being “jolly” in the squad. “The mood in the camp is upbeat. There is a lot of familiarity in the squad, and we gel well. The youngsters push us to the limits. Everyone is jolly and we want to put our best foot forward, and do well.”

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu feels the level of competition in the SAFF region has “definitely improved”.

“We saw Nepal play Maldives, and they have definitely improved. The level of the competition has become better, and teams are aware of how to exploit an opponent’s weakness. We have to respect each and every team, and give our best.”

Stimac explained that the Blue Tigers are missing not just Sandesh Jhingan, but also Rowllin Borges, and Ashqique Kuruniyan, all of whom are under rehab at the moment.

“It’s not just Sandesh alone whom we are missing. Borges has been absent for a while for the National Team, and even Ashique.  But we just cannot think of that at the moment. We wish them a fast recovery and expect them to join us as soon as possible,” Stimac expressed.

“But we have other players here, and we need to have enough capacity to cover all the positions. Sandesh was a leader, very vocal, and he held the team together. But we need to replace him together as a team, making an effort throughout 90 minutes,” the coach explained.

Sunil admitted that “the team needs to improve in a lot of areas.”

“If we’re talking solely about the two games which we played against Nepal, we have to improve in a lot of areas. And that has already been talked and conveyed to us by our Head coach, and the whole coaching system,” he quipped.

“We know we could have done better in Nepal as players. And this is just me talking as a player. And whatever things that we had to work on were conveyed to us right after the game. And also now, with every passing day, we realised that every other team who probably are in the same region are also improving – which means that if we play against them, we cannot afford to be 90 percent. Not just against Nepal, but in a game against any one of them. That is one of the biggest learnings that we have learned playing Nepal in Nepal.”

“And hopefully, we will take it in our stride. Taking that forward to this tournament, we realise that there will not be a single easy game for us.”

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The players and the support staff will assemble in Bengaluru tomorrow (Monday, September 27), and will fly out to the Maldives the next day. Stimac, and other members of the technical staff will join the squad directly in Maldives on the same day.

Besides India – Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and hosts Maldives are the other teams in the Championship. Each team plays each other once with the top two teams qualifying for the final.

Head Coach Igor Stimac stated: “We are all looking forward to the SAFF Championship as the leading football country in this part of Asia. These 4-5 games are extremely crucial for us as we won’t have any other chance of getting together before the start of 3rd round AFC Asian Cup qualifiers next season. So these matches should help us to improve a few points in our game.”

The Blue Tigers have won the SAFF Championship (formerly SAARC Cup) 7 times – 1993 in Lahore, 1997 in Kathmandu, 1999 in Margao, 2005 in Karachi, 2009 (U23 squad) in Dhaka, 2011 in New Delhi), 2015-16 in Thiruvananthapuram.

India begin their campaign against Bangladesh on October 4.

Following are India’s fixtures in the group stage:

October 4: Bangladesh vs India (IST 4.30pm).
October 7: India vs Sri Lanka (IST 4.30pm).
October 10: Nepal vs India (IST 8.30pm).
October 13: India vs Maldives (IST 8.30pm).

The list of 23 probables is as follows:

GOALKEEPERS: Gurpreet Singh, Amrinder Singh, Vishal Kaith.

DEFENDERS: Pritam Kotal, Seriton Fernandes, Chinglensana Singh, Rahul Bheke, Subhasish Bose, Mandar Rao Dessai.

MIDFIELDERS: Udanta Singh, Brandon Fernandes, Lalengmawia, Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Jeakson Singh, Glan Martins, Suresh Singh, Liston Colaco, Yasir Mohammad.

FORWARDS: Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Sunil Chhetri, Farukh Choudhary.

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“We can’t expect much after 10 days of preparation. The legs are still heavy from the load, and we need to slow down, and refresh the players,” Stimac told www.the-aiff.com.

The Indian squad rode on a goal each from Farukh Choudhury and Ishan Pandita to win 2-0.

“I am happy with the manner our players performed. They should have scored a few goals much earlier. But it was not easy under the heavy downpour, and a heavy pitch,” Stimac explained.

It rained all throughout the match, and the downpour was heavy from midway in the second half.

“The conditions were challenging,” Stimac added. “The boys are all ready for 45 minutes, and we need to be careful going into the next two games against Nepal. We understand that the ATK Mohun Bagan and BFC players will be in better shape than others for two matches against Nepal.”

While the ATK Mohun Bagan players join the camp in Kolkata today, the BFC players will join the rest of the squad in New Delhi on 29^th evening.

The Blue Tigers leave for Nepal the next day, i.e., August 30. The first International Friendly is slated for April 2, while the second one is on April 5.

A contingent of 23 players have been camping in Kolkata from August 15 onwards. The Blue Tigers had earlier played another exhibition match against a combined IFA XI which they had won by a solitary goal scored by Akash Mishra.

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“I am really happy and grateful about the organisation of this game, and we will do our best to have such games like this one,” Stimac stated post-match. “We won’t mind having such matches regularly, and maybe in another 7 days we may think and want another practice game like this,” the coach averred. “Kolkata is a great football place and during the pandemic when it is difficult to find games, this is one of the best places to train.”

The match which was organised to commemorate the ‘Khela Hobe’ Divas in West Bengal was graced by Mr. Arup Biswas, Government of West Bengal’s Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports and Power; Mr. Kushal Das, General Secretary AIFF; Mr. Subrata Dutta, Senior Vice President, AIFF; Mr. Abhishek Yadav, Assistant General Secretary, AIFF, also Director National Teams; Mr. Joydeep Mukherjee, General Secretary, IFA, and a host of other dignitaries.

“I was cautious about my players not picking up injuries, and wanted to understand how they handled the game. They went into the pitch after a long time, and without much practice,” Stimac opined.

The coach who coached Croatia to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 also hinted that he “may consider releasing Sandesh Jhingan from the ongoing camp.”

Referring to Sandesh’s move to Croatia to play League Football, Stimac expressed: “Having in mind that the Croatian League has already had 5 rounds, and the players are fit, we are thinking as to how we can help Sandesh get into form as soon as possible, and also try to facilitate him get his place in the team. It’s important for him to get into the playing XI. So we may consider releasing him from the camp and bringing him back but allow him to stay with the club,” the coach informed.

India will be travelling to Kathmandu later this month to play Nepal in two International Friendlies in September. “It is very difficult to organise matches under such circumstances. You need to understand that no one is able to come to India, and if we want to go out to play there are quarantine rules. So the options are very limited,” he added.

“We had agreed to first play Libya and Jordan in Istanbul. But the long duration of quarantine in Istanbul didn’t allow us to proceed with the matches. We also looked at other options wherein we agreed to play Nepal and Malaysia in Nepal. But Malaysia couldn’t travel owing to quarantine rules back home in their country,” the coach pronounced.

“Now we need to prepare for the next 12 days before we head to Nepal. We also have the SAFF Championship in October followed by the AFC U-23 Qualifiers — maybe the best option will be to hold on with the U23 team all throughout October.”

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Speaking after the completion of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Joint Qualifiers, Stimac said: “I was brought in to change the game from a defensive, counter-attacking style to a more progressive version of football that involves us improving our passing and having more control of the game.”

“We have improved our passing accuracy and possession – we have become more technical,” stated Stimac. “I really am grateful that the players did their best out there on the pitch. But we all need to understand that it takes a lot of work and patience to do this. I said, when I joined two years ago, that there will be some suffering on the way, and I stand by it. That’s the only way we can go through this transformation.”

The 53-year-old also went on to state that one of the biggest reasons why he took up the job of coaching the Blue Tigers is because of the challenge of turning a defensive, counter-attacking unit into one that plays more technical football.

“I took this job for one simple reason. One of the biggest challenges in football is to transform a zonal defending and counter-attacking team. The first step is discipline in zonal defence, and we have shown that. We’ve had some issues due to injuries to players like (Sandesh) Jhingan towards the start of the qualifiers,” he said. “But you also need to keep in mind that we only played two home games, technically, facing the Asian champions twice – that too at their own den – Doha. We did well, all things considered.”

The Blue Tigers head coach has brought a lot of fresh blood into the team in the last two years, and amongst them, he feels that midfielder Brandon Fernandes stands out as one who has helped with this transformation into a more technical team.

“We have had many new midfielders like Sahal (Abdul Samad), Liston (Colaco), and (Lallainzuala) Chhangte – (Anirudh) Thapa was already there in the National Team when I had come in. It takes time for these guys to settle, and they all have their strengths and their limits, so we need to be realistic as well. But if you see Brandon, he has done very well – he is technically educated, and provides a lot of passes. He’s also great to have for the set-pieces as well.”

While a lot of new faces have come into the Blue Tigers squad, some have remained a constant, much like a backbone in the India starting XI. Stimac believes that these players, despite being some of the seniors in the team, have improved their game over the last two years.

“What I am proud of is that a lot of players are better than what they were two years ago. Sunil (Chhetri) is better than two years back, and so is Gurpreet (Singh Sandhu).”

“Sandesh is twice as good today, than what he was two years back. He is one of the best defenders in Asia. With a bit more work on a few things, he can become the best,” Stimac averred.

The coach also believes that the good work in Indian Football has already started, and that the beautiful game in the country is indeed moving forward together, with an all-round improvement.

“We are where we are because Indian Football is going forward, but we cannot stand and admire it. We also need to keep pushing, keep speeding,” said Stimac. “The process will go on now, with the work AIFF has done with the Baby Leagues, and Grassroots football. It will take maybe 10-12 years to take effect, but it will happen.”

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Sunil scored two goals in a span of 13 minutes to help India seal a 2-0 victory, India’s first win in a World Cup qualifier away from home since 2001.

The record book states that Chhetri, on 74 goals, is second behind Cristiano Ronaldo in the all-time goal scorer’s list among active players in International Football, as he overtook Lionel Messi who is on 72 goals.

“Many people keep on asking as to when Sunil is going to retire. He works so hard on the pitch, and in every training session, he is by far the best. He is in such good shape and is working with such professionalism. He is working as if he is 25, playing as if he is 25, and scoring goals like he is 25,” Head Coach Igor Stimac stated.

‘Ironman’ Sandesh Jhingan felt that Sunil’s name will still be remembered even after a century. “Some 100 or 200 years down the line, people will still talk about Sunil Chhetri. As long as there is Indian Football, people will remember his name. It’s for everyone to see what he does on the field. Hence, I would rather like to mention that off the field he is the perfect example for all to follow.”

“I will keep on mentioning that there’s one guy floating in between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi – and that’s my teammate, my captain Sunil Chhetri,” Gurpreet Singh Sandhu expressed. “It shows his commitment and how consistent he has been scoring goals – one after the other. It’s simply remarkable,” he added.

Chhetri smiled, looked to his side, shook his head, and smiled again. “The match against Bangladesh was a tough match, frustrating at times,” he referred. “We were guilty of missing a lot of chances. We could have done better. It has been a topsy-turvy qualifying campaign. Looking back, we understand that we could have done a lot better. We will talk about it but I am happy that we got three points,” Chhetri said.

One reminds him about his International goals. “You know what. All of this is past. We play Afghanistan, and we have to be at our best. It will be a new day, a new canvas. And it is up to us to paint it the manner we want to,” he argued. The alarm on his watch rings. Sunil gets up, gestures and walks off for the recovery session at the gym. The session is some 10 minutes away but he knows he cannot be late. In fact, and you can bet he will be the first one to step in.

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