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Indian football players are reportedly unhappy with head coach Stephen Constantine and seeking for his removal from the post citing he is not technically good enough for the national team job. It is learned that five senior players already approached AIFF general secretary Kushal Das regarding the matter.
Interestingly, under him, India have qualified for AFC Asian Cup 2019 which would be held in UAE.
Since he was appointed as India’s head coach for the second time in 2015, we have seen some ups and downs under his guidance. India achieved their best ever FIFA ranking (96) in 21 years under his badge while India suffered as many as seven defeats in the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifier.
Here we take a look at top 5 international matches under Stephen Constantine on his second stint with team India.
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#5 India vs Laos (IGA Stadium, Guwahati)
Date: 7 June 2016
Venue: IGA Stadium, Guwahati
Result: India 6-1 Laos
After a disappointing outing in the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers where India managed only one win and lost seven, it was time to regain India’s pride and qualify for AFC Asian Cup qualifying round. India managed to skip past Nepal 2-0 on aggregate before facing Laos on the way to the qualifying round. India bagged a 1-0 victory against Laos in the first leg away from home.The second leg was held at Indira Gandhi Athletic stadium and India triumphed with a thumping 6-1 victory over Laos after being one goal down.
Jeje netted twice and one each goal from Sumeet Passi, Sandesh Jhingan, Mohammed Rafique and Fulganco Cardozo scripted one of the biggest ever victory for team India. This win confirmed India's spot in AFC Cup 2019 qualifier and a consolation for Stephen Constantine after series of poor outings.
#4 India vs Nepal (Greenfield Stadium, Trivandrum)
Date: 27 December 2015
Venue: Greenfield Stadium, Trivandrum
Result: India 4-1 Nepal
SAFF Cup 2015 which India hosted was the first major assignment for Stephen Constantine after he is appointed as head coach back in early January 2015.India put some decent performance throughout the tournament and won the championship for the 7th time after beating Afganistan by 2-1 in the final. Before proceeding to the final India thrashed neighbours Nepal with an emphatic 4-1 score.
Apart from the result, there were some special moments as the coach introduced 18-year-old Lallianzuala Chhangte in Indian colours and he bagged two goals to his credit in his very first match, thus making himself become the youngest ever player to score for team India.
Though Nepal managed to score first through unmarked Bimal Magar, India pressed very hard and equalised through Rowllin Borges before captain fantastic, the talisman, Sunil Chhetri gave the much-awaited lead for team India. Then started the Chhangte show and the rest is history. He stunned everyone with two outstanding goals and his brilliant proceedings as a debutant.
#3 India vs Myanmar (Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon)
Date: 28 March 2017
Venue: Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon
Result: India 1-0 Myanmar
India started AFC Asian cup 2019 qualifier campaign with a convincing 1-0 victory over Myanmar at Yangon.We can count this as one of the best ever match India played under Stephen Constantine considering it was an away round that too in front of 21,000 cheering home fans.
The highly intense, tensed and thrilling game turned out to be a favourable outcome for team India as the lone goal from none other than captain Sunil Chhetri was enough to break a 64-year-old jinx for team India.
India last beat Myanmar on Myanmar soil in 1953. Furthermore, the Myanmar side was together for a long time since their participation in the 2015 U20 World Cup. The team was quick, sharp and full of young blood in the national squad. These facts make this win a favourite for every Indian fan
It was an outstanding run by Udanta Singh on the right flank and he managed to pass the ball towards fellow Bengaluru FC player Chhetri who was running parallel and waited at the centre for the ball and done no mistake in converting it. The victory was a big relief for India as Myanmar considered to be the toughest opponents in the group A which consists of Kyrgyzstan and Macau apart from India and Myanmar.
#2 India vs Cambodia (Phnom Penh Olympic Stadium)
Date: 22 March 2017
Venue: Phnom Penh Olympic Stadium
Result: India 3-2 Cambodia
It was India’s first win in an international friendly away from home in 12 years. Before facing Cambodia, the match was expected to be a one-sided affair in favour of India as when they last met, India thrashed them 6-0 at the Nehru Cup 2007. But it turned out to be a breathless encounter between the two and luckily somehow India managed to come out as winners. The match was a preparatory outing for India on their way to Myanmar before facing them in Yangon.
India opened the scoring through Sunil Chhetri but the celebrations lasted barely a minute as the Cambodians pulled one back.The score remained same at the break and Jeje gave India a lead before Sandesh Jhingan giving a comfortable 3-1 advantage for team India. But the Cambodians reacted well and managed to pull back their second goal but their desperate attack for the equaliser on the dying minutes well managed by the composite Indian defence.
#1 India vs Puerto Rico (Mumbai Football Arena)
Date: 3 September 2016
Venue: Mumbai Football Arena
Result: India 4-1 Puerto Rico
India scripted a sensational 4-1 victory over then 114th ranked Puerto Rico at the Mumbai Football Arena (Andheri Sports Complex) in Mumbai. The match is considered to be the best ever match in Stephen Constantine's second stint as Indian head coach. It was a well planned friendly by AIFF to tackle FIFA ranking and get a favourable draw for AFC Asian Cup 2019 qualifier. Fortunately, they succeeded in the mission and got a hike in FIFA ranking and placed in a relatively easy group as well.
It was an outstanding performance from team India as being a goal down to register a 4-1 victory over the higher ranked team.The visitors awarded a penalty in the very 7th minute into the match and Emmanual Sanchez stepped up and done no mistake in giving the Puerto Rican early lead in the match. But the Indian camp alerted very well to the goal and it was all Indian dominance thereafter.
The visitors seemed so tired and they could not match up with team India after the first goal. Narayan Das equalised for team India in the 18th minute while Sunil Chhetri and Jeje Lalpekhlua made a 3-1 lead before the break. Super sub Jackichand completed the rout for team India in the 58th minute.
The match resulted in drastic improvement of FIFA ranking for India since then. Ultimately India moved up to 96 in the FIFA ranking. It was the best in 21 years for team India. Whereas India's best ever ranking 94 (1996) remained untouched. Presently, India is placed at the 105th position in the world and 14th among Asian countries.
