The senior men’s national team has made remarkable progress in terms of fitness and endurance which it could prove by winning three tournaments in a span of three months, said the All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey.
India’s triumph in the SAFF Championship on Tuesday has boosted the confidence in the team’s ability to perform in international events, under the coaching of Igor Stimac. The former Croatian World Cupper, who has been working with the national side since the middle of 2019, has been able to bring together a young side that is eager to attain international success. The AIFF president applauded Stimac’s coaching acumen.
“The Indian team has made remarkable progress in terms of fitness and endurance. If we look at the last two tournaments (Intercontinental Cup and SAFF Championship), Indian players showed great endurance in the SAFF tournament, especially in the semifinals and the final where the action went till the tie-breakers,” Chaubey told Sportstar.
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“I felt that the Indian players were always in the game and hardly showed the strain and fatigue that was troubling the opponents like Lebanon and Kuwait when the matches went to extra-time. We have to give credit to Igor for the commendable achievement,” he added.
“India’s success in the SAFF Championship is definitely big as it was appreciated both by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, who have Tweeted their congratulations after the team lifted the trophy,” Chaubey said.
Chaubey said that the national team will have further scope to improve as it plays tournaments like the King’s Cup (September) and the Merdeka Cup (October) in the next few months.
“The national team will be playing around 20 matches in a calendar year, which is a great proposition in itself. Starting with the Tri-Nation Cup in March this year, India will be playing five tournaments before the Asian Cup in January next year. This in itself is a major achievement for the National team as we are trying to utilise the FIFA windows for the friendlies and ensure better preparation for our national team,” he said.
The AIFF president said that he would prefer to look at the good work that has gone into getting the team’s successive triumphs and not dwell on the controversy relating to Stimac’s being ejected twice in the SAFF tournament.
“Two red cards in a tournament is not expected from a coach of his stature and experience. But Igor has really worked hard with the team, which was reflected in the back-to-back wins for India. I would not like to further comment on this and say that it has come as a blessing in disguise for Mahesh Gawli, who did a nice job as an assistant coach while helping the team win two decisive matches against strong teams like Lebanon and Kuwait. He has done a commendable job in guiding the team in such high-pressure matches,” Chaubey said.
With the Indian Super League (ISL) in full flow during India’s Asian Cup engagements, the AIFF president said that it will be difficult to arrange Stimac’s suggestion of having a four-week training camp before the tournament.
“I briefly discussed the issue with Igor after the final on Tuesday. FIFA has certain regulations for the clubs regarding the release of players for the national team. We will have to follow those guidelines and accordingly plan the preparatory camp ahead of the Asian Cup fixtures in January,” Chaubey said.
The AIFF president said he will try to accommodate some extra days for the team’s benefit.
“We are both aligned in our thinking about getting the maximum preparation time for the national team but we have to follow the calendar which has been previously agreed upon. This happens with all the national teams across the world and we cannot be any different. But I will surely try and work out some extra days for the national team before the Asian Cup engagement,” he said while adding that it is generally understood that the players remain match fit while they are playing with the clubs and AIFF will try to find the right balance to schedule the preparation time.
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