On Tuesday, the Indian national team will prepare for their crucial upcoming Asian Cup qualifiers against the Kyrgyz Republic by taking on Nepal in a friendly. They’re up against a side who received a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Philippines in their opening qualifying match.
Yes, India will face off against a side who are ranked 69 places below them. In fact, the highest-ranking Nepal can boast of in their footballing history is 124, a feat that they achieved way back in 1993. But come Tuesday, Stephen Constantine will be fully aware that the Blue Tigers can’t afford to take their foot off the gas. For momentum breeds consistency and head coach Constantine is intent on entering the elite pack in world football.
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“We need to be in the big competitions. Is the top 50 possible? Yes, but we need to do some things to get there. We need to be in AFC finals and qualify for the World Cup. Two and a half years ago when I said we were going to be in the top 100, people laughed, not laughing anymore!
“Look Nepal is a very hardworking team, they give everything they have in every game. We will expect the usual from them, which is fight till they can’t fight anymore. We tried to get Lebanon but had visa problems. I don’t think there are any easy teams at the international level. The most important thing is that we play the game,” he added.
Constantine revealed that ace forward, Sunil Chhetri will not be partaking in tomorrow’s match. While Sunil has recovered from his muscle tear, the coach isn’t willing to risk him, with the Kyrgyz Republic game less than ten days away, stating that he is merely trying to protect him.
“Sunil Chhetri is a very good player and has been for a very long time. I hope he has many more years left in it. At 32 though, you have to start thinking, what’s next? What happens if? It will be a great loss to Indian football when he decides to hang up his boots, I hope that’s not now,” he said.
Despite Sunil being in fine form, the manager did warn that India wouldn’t have the privilege of enjoying Chhetri’s services for too many more years. While he is satisfied with the striker’s performance, Constantine doesn’t have an answer as to who could possibly replace him in the long run.
“Physically he is at the top of the charts in terms of work rate. As long as he is able to do what he does on the pitch, I would like Chhetri to be leading the team in the 2019 Asian Cup. He’s not 22 anymore. As you get older, injuries take a little longer to heal. Someone, someday will have to replace him. Who will it be? I don’t know.”
Asked what he wishes to gain from tomorrow's friendly, the coach stated that it will be an opportunity for the newcomers to stake their claim in the starting eleven when they take on Kyrgyzstan.
“I hope to get some decent performances from some players who will be trying to make their claim in the starting eleven against Kyrgyzstan, which is a very important game. I don’t have a starting eleven,” he said.
Lastly, with all the understandable hype around India’s newly achieved 100th rank in world football, Constantine has put things into perspective. He believes that India has a long way to go but is happy that people have begun to invoke a positive outlook towards the sport in the country.
“Being 100 doesn’t mean we’re favourites, it doesn’t mean that we have become a super team or that we are going to the World Cup. The rankings are dependent on a number of different variations. Had Bolivia not beaten Argentina last time, we would have been 99,” he signed off.
Chhetri apart, forwards CK Vineeth and Udanta Singh are also set to miss out the Nepal game due to injuries.
