King's Cup 2019: Curacao 3:1 India | 5 Talking Points

#3 Sahal Abdul might be the next big thing

Sahal Abdul Samad

The name Sahal Abdul Samad rose to fame with his performances for Kerala Blasters in the ISL. Even with only one goal to his name, the Kerala lad managed to impress the critics and won the Emerging Player Award of this ISL season. His national duty call-up too was reviewed as a fair opportunity.

Now, making his debut in the Indian colours, he has proven himself not to be over-rated. Sahal started the game in an attacking role, behind the lone striker Sunil Chhetri. As he does for Blasters, the midfielder was seen chasing the balls in the opponent's half. The 22-year-old player was part of most of India's attacks in the game. He was daring to be involved in the midfield battle, turning and cutting off the Blue shirts. He seemed to have a decent combination working with Chhetri in front. In the second half, Samad was behind few good balls that reached Udanta Singh. But he had inexperience as an obstacle before him leading to errors.

With his accurate passing and sensible positioning, Sahal Abdul Samad might be a valuable asset for Indian football. If the youngster stays on the ground and continues what he does the best, the judgments of legends like Chhetri might prove true.