In an exclusive interview, he spoke at length about the AFC being aware of the remarkable progress of football in India over the last decade.

EXCERPTS: The hallmark of India’s performance in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup…

DWJ: India has performed well. The win against Thailand — a first in 55 years in the competition — is testament of the development of football in India. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) deserves credit for its dedication.

Despite the loss against UAE, they (India) showed character and resilience.

Of course it is not easy to compete against a tournament heavyweight on home soil and India were a little unfortunate. I believe they can take great pride with their performance.

Has India been the surprise package of the tournament?
DWJ: India’s performance may have come as a surprise for some but we (AFC) were well aware of the remarkable progress of football in the country since the last decade. The AFC’s vision and mission underlines commitment to provide assistance to member associations. As the second largest football community on the planet, we knew about India’s football potential.

Over the years, we have worked closely with the AIFF to raise the standard of the game through various ‘President Initiatives’ and development programmes. There are signs that the sport is scaling new heights in India.

These include the results of the U-16 team at the AFC U-16 Championship in Malaysia in 2018 (they qualified for the quarter-finals for the first time since 2002). Also, Bengaluru FC, who reached the 2016 AFC Cup final and the Inter Zone final and semifinal in 2017 and 2018 respectively, is a good indicator of the progress of football in India.

When we decided to expand the competition from 16 to 24 teams, the idea was to provide member associations more opportunities against top-class competition. It is good that the decision has made an impact on emerging nations which include the Philippines, Kyrgyz Republic and of course, India.

Citing the example of the India U-16 team what has caused the sudden shift for football in India?
DWJ: Competitions drive development and India’s continued presence in AFC tournaments has been the catalyst for the development of football.

The AFC decided to award the AFC U-16 Championship to India (in 2016) to strengthen their capability of hosting the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup and also give them international match experience and exposure — factors vital for the development of football.

The competition also showcased the passion that exists for football in the country as fans rallied behind the senior India team till the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. We hope that India’s commendable display will accelerate this progress.

Does Sunil Chettri’s recent record (he overtook Lionel Messi as the second highest goalscorer among active players in international football) mean anything for Asian football?
DWJ: Sunil’s record clearly exemplifies his desire and professionalism both on and off the pitch. He has been a proud ambassador for club and country. With two goals in this tournament, he has proven his worth on Asia’s grandest stage.

I am confident that he (Chettri) will serve as an inspiration to aspiring footballers in India and Asia. With hard-work, dedication and a commitment to excellence, Sunil proves that nothing is impossible.

AIFF MEDIA

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“We know all the three games are going to be very tough. There’ll be no easy game at this level. But we’ll go toe-to-toe with them. A game is not played on paper, but on the pitch. UAE are the hosts and will be under pressure. It’s understandable they will go for all three points,” said Constantine.

UAE (ranked 79th in the FIFA rankings) has won eight of 13 games against India. The Blue Tigers on the other hand have won thrice against the Gulf nation.

The two teams last played at the Ambedkar Stadium (New Delhi) in 2o11. The game had ended in a 2-2 draw with Jeje Lalpekhlua scoring for India.

“Jeje is a very good player. But unfortunately, he did not have much game time recently. You put Jeje in the position and he will score for you. I was so happy that he scored the goal against Thailand. He deserves to get the goal, especially at this level,” said Constantine about Lalpekhlua.

When asked about UAE’s style of play he said: “They are a physical, as well as a skillful side. I am not worried about our fitness. We have to play our best game to get the result.”

Sunil Chhetri, who surpassed Lionel Messi as the highest international goal scorer among active players, also earned plaudits from the coach.

“Sunil has always given everything whenever he has played for the National Team. I can’t complain about this. He is there to do his job and his job is to score goals. He has a phenomenal scoring record and we’re better with him in the team,” said Constantine.

“Against Thailand, we gave the ball away too many times which put the opposition in an advantageous position. We have to look after the ball better. I feel we started a bit nervous. Some young boys were too eager to press. We can’t repeat it against UAE,” he added.

Constantine played Ashique Kuruniyan up front alongside Chhetri in the game against Thailand…and the move paid off!

When asked as to whether an encore can happen against UAE the coach simply said: “You have to wait and see.”

India play UAE at the Sheikh Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi, on Thursday (January 10). The game will be telecast live on Star Sports 2, 3. It will also be streamed live on Hotstar at 9.30 pm (IST). 

AIFF MEDIA

Also Read: AFC ASIAN CUP: It is an honor to play for India: Chettri

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The post AFC ASIAN CUP: Football is not played on paper: Constantine appeared first on Football Counter.

A day after he surpassed Lionel Messi in the list for most goals scored by an active player in the international football arena he spoke at a length about the win against Thailand in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, the team, his fitness mantra, his debut and much more…

EXCERPTS:

Ever thought you would come this far (since the debut against Pakistan in 2005)?
SC: Never. Not even in my wildest fantasies, I thought that this would happen to me. Playing for my country the very first time was so enjoyable, memorable and nothing less than a great honor. But, I never thought that I would go on to play so many games and score goals for India.

The secret behind your goal-scoring run…
SC: There is no secret behind these results. I am blessed to have played the game with the best of the teammates — both for all my clubs and country. Both in Bengaluru FC and India, everyone helps me out. They support me and that is very important. I just try to continue doing the best for the team and the result follows.

Fitness…
SC: There is absolutely no secret. You have to just work hard and make sure you train well. Most importantly you need to eat and sleep well. The fact that I love playing football, and playing for my country drives me to push further. I think I am undergoing the phase when I’m the fastest, fittest in my life. I don’t think age is a barrier for me.

How did the team celebrate the win against Thailand?
SC: We did nothing to enjoy.  It’s just about sticking to the routine. We had the recovery sessions, and now the gym. It’s not done yet and nothing has been achieved so far. It was a decent win but just one win, no more or no less.

The plan for the future…
SC: We have to focus for the match against hosts UAE. It will be a very difficult game. If you ask me — without taking anything from Thailand, the least difficult one among the three matches was against Thailand.

The most difficult game will be against UAE and lest we forget, Bahrain will be equally tough for us. We are concentrating on the next one now and we need to give a good account of ourselves.

On Ashique stepping up for Jeje…
SC: Pretty good, I must say. It was a new position for him as he generally does not play as a striker. But he worked really hard. Jeje is the talisman for us. He is probably one of the main reasons why we have reached the Asian Cup finals. So it was quite a task for him to fill in Jeje’s shoes.

The overall performance against Thailand…
SC: It was a top-notch performance by everyone. Right from Gurpreet, Subhasish, Anas, Sandesh, Pritam — everyone was so good. At times, the whole team dig deep to defend, but these four guys have been really solid at the back

So, what’s next? Personal achievements?
SC: I don’t think anything about personal achievements at the moment. It’s all about the team and we need to focus on keeping a clean sheet against UAE.

On beating Messi’s record…
SC: No record for me now. After 10 years, probably, when we’ll sit with a drink in our hand will talk about records. (laughs).

AIFF MEDIA

Also Read: AFC ASIAN CUP: Blue Tigers lauded by India football legend

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