Arunava about Football A look at football & the world through my eyes!
Related Articles
In the March 2022 International FIFA match window, the Indian national football team faced hosts Bahrain and Belarus in two international friendlies in Manama.
India first lost 1-2 to hosts Bahrain on Wednesday, March 23 and then suffered a 0-3 loss to Belarus on Saturday, March 26.
I am not going to discuss the question why and how India could play against Belarus in these times of war. But I still wanted to highlight this very questionable decision by the AIFF.
Now coming to speak about the two games and having watched two separate India XIs play these games, one thing was once more evident, for a lot of players these games against superior opposition was another reality check for India’s Blue Tigers.
Some players have really impressed in recent weeks and months in the eight season of the Indian Super League, but over the last few days player like a Liston Colaco, who had an incredible ISL season, had to realise that international football is a different cup of tea.
Often seen in recent matches, our India players take too much time on the ball, lack in their decision making, players struggle even with the basics, plus we can’t put a decent number of passes together. All that we see of these players in the ISL, is gone once they move up the rank to international football.
It seems over the 38 months since we last played Bahrain at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, we have not developed or moved ahead despite of all the media statements made by India head coach Igor Stimac.
And I often ask myself the question, what is Igor Stimac’s team trying to play or achieve?
Since lasat year, whenever there have been international friendlies, a new players are given their international debuts with no core first eleven being evident or these players given the chance to settle in.
Unlike in these friendlies, in June 2022, India will host the 2023 AFC Asian Cup – final round qualifiers against Hong Kong, Afghanistan, and Cambodia in Kolkata. We are the clear-cut favourites to progress from this group and what makes things even more difficult, it will be expected from us to control the matches, stamp our authority on them, and some would even say win comprehensively.
Honestly, I’d be happy if we progress to China 2023!
I hope after these friendlies, Igor Stimac has his core eleven in his head and gives the players the confidence to perform in June so that India qualifies for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup next year in China.
