Indian football: 5 players who could become regulars under Igor Stimac

#3 Sahal Abdul Samad

Sahal failed to live up his reputation

The talented Keralite played his first full season for Kerala Blasters FC and his performances was enough for Igor Stimac to call him in the national camp before the Kings Cup tournament. He was even handed debut against Curacao.

But honestly, Sahal failed to live up his reputation. He is considered to be a gem in the midfield and the next big talent for India. But in both the matches in Kings Cup, he failed to do justice with his talent.

In the match against Curacao, he showed too urgency and impatience, and often provided meaningless passes that helped the opposition to claim the possession back. He also lost the ball too many times.

Stimac saw him struggling on the field and eventually replaced him after the break. In the second match, Sahal lost his place in the starting XI and even though made an appearance in the second half, he was largely off-colour.

But that doesn’t mean the end of the road for this youngster. Stimac showed the trust on him and might get his position back when India face Tajikistan. But this time, he needs to control his emotions and do what he does best.