An hour before Bengaluru FC were slated to take on Hyderabad FC in the Indian Super League at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday, September 19, club and country legend Sunil Chhetri was nowhere to be seen.
The Blues were being led into their warmup by skipper Rahul Bheke and his partner-in-crime Chinglensana Singh, but Chhetri remained inconspicuous in his absence even as the swelling crowd began chanting his name.
It was only much later that this correspondent could spot Chhetri on the sidelines of the pitch, speaking to the ball boys and giving each of them an encouraging hug before moving off to join the rest of his teammates for warmup.
It is things like these that make the legendary Chhetri a figure beyond the ordinary, and a man who is worshipped on the football pitch and revered off it. A man who gives just as much as he takes – one who wears his greatness lightly, and instead, lets it sit on him.
Coming on as a substitute in the second half on Thursday, Chhetri converted a penalty in the 85th minute of the game and then headed a loopy cross from Edgar Mendez from the right wing in stoppage time to seal the deal for his team.
Although Rahul Bheke had given the Blues the lead in the 5th minute, Hyderabad were fighting well and looking extremely likely to pull one back and equalise. It was Chhetri’s brace, therefore, that put the game to bed.
He has retired from international football, but the 40-year-old continues to be a force to reckon with at his club. Bengaluru FC trust him blindly, as do the legion of supporters who throng the Kanteerava every gameday.
The brace that he picked up in this game also tied Chhetri as the joint-highest goalscorer of the ISL, standing alongside former Hyderabad striker Bart Ogbeche with 63 goals each. With Ogbeche having retired, Chhetri is bound to become the all-time leading goalscorer of the league soon.
IFTWC spoke to Chhetri recently and asked him about his thoughts on the game against the Nawabs, as well as the record of which he is now the joint-holder. The Hyderabad-born striker, as always, was soft, gentle and kind beyond measure.
Q. Bengaluru FC have won two games in a row now. This one did not seem as clear-cut until you walked onto the pitch. What do you make of this performance against Hyderabad FC?
Chhetri: “It was a team performance. We are very privileged to have four strikers in the side. It is a headache, but it is a good headache for the coach to have. We train for these situations. Look at the third goal – it was something we have worked hard towards and for a long time.“
“It wasn’t really easy; the game opened up in the last twenty minutes, yes, but it was not easy by any means. That is probably why we managed to create those chances – most importantly, I am happy with the three points that we took.“
Q. You became the joint-highest goal scorer of the ISL with your brace in this game. What are your thoughts about it?
Chhetri: “I am grateful, that’s all. It was a team performance, as I mentioned. All the boys did well, and picking up the three points was most important here.“
Q. How do you rate the performance of your defenders and midfielders? They did not allow Hyderabad to break free although the latter were constantly threatening to do so.
Chhetri: “We did well. I am pretty sure that in our next team meeting, our coach will discuss where we can do better. But I think we did extremely well to keep a clean sheet, and as I mentioned earlier, we are more than delighted with the three points. It is important to get things underway this early in the season and take as many points as we can from all our matches.“
Q. What are your thoughts about Hyderabad FC? They have had a lot of challenges, and it was only recently that the transfer bans imposed upon them were lifted.
Chhetri: “It wasn’t easy playing against Hyderabad FC. I am sure that they have had their share of struggles. What I’ve heard is that they trained only for three and a half or four weeks, which is far from being ideal. But credit to them for putting up a fight and making us think hard. If you saw – in the first half, they were really good.“
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“Of course, we had the ball, but some of the moves they made really made us stand up and take note. I genuinely wish them the best. We were resilient and did not allow too many spaces for them to work with. As I said, it is not easy to play with so little preparation, but Hyderabad did well.“
Q. Mohun Bagan are coming to visit next. How big of a challenge is it going to be to face the Mariners? How will Bengaluru look at this opportunity?
Chhetri: “We like those challenges, especially at home. I think we are confident in our abilities. I know that Mohun Bagan are a formidable side – they are one of the best in the country – but we love playing such games.“
“As a footballer, you look forward to facing challenges and playing against such teams. We fancy ourselves at home against any opponents. History has proven that we have done well at the Kanteerava even when we were put under pressure. This stadium is something special.“
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