AFC Asian Cup 2019: India vs Bahrain - 5 things we learned 

#2 A big leap for Indian football

India has undergone a huge transformation since the 2011 AFC Asian Cup

Let’s turn back our clocks eight years back on the same day, January 14. India were playing the AFC 2011 Asian Cup against Bahrain, who thumped the ‘Blue Tigers’ 5-2 in Qatar to show them the door. This game has seen a sea of change, with India having the upper hand before the kick-off, while Bahrain played their skins out to snatch a victory via a spot kick in the 91st minute of the match.

India can only improve themselves from here on, irrespective of whoever takes charge if Stephen Constantine is not retained after the tournament. With Sunil Chhetri at the dusk of his illustrious career, it is time for the next generation to pick themselves up and fill in the boots of the veterans.

It was really great to see how Sandesh Jhingan and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu played, they probably played one of the best games, but ironically it will be an occasion they both want to forget.