Indian Football’s latest striking promise Sivasakthi Narayanan was the highest scorer for Bengaluru FC in the recently concluded season. That came within a team with Sunil Chhetri and Roy Krishna in it. Partnering upfront with Krishna, he benched the skipper on merit, scoring 11 goals in a positive campaign for BFC.
Prior to the ISL final, Siva was named in the 23-man squad for the Tri-Nation Cup to be held in Manipur. But three minutes into the big game, a severe knock on his face ruled him out. That injury meant Igor Stimac named a sudden change in the national squad. The 21-year-old made a comeback in the Super Cup with a face mask – playing a total of 100 minutes (20 per game). He started in the second group stage game against Punjab FC but wasn’t used against Kerala Blasters and Odisha FC in the final.
Earlier, Stimac emphasised on how quick players like Sivasakthi can be crucial in the Asia Cup where the team could be built around counter attacking tactics. Is there a change of mind? “No, absolutely not!”, reacted the India coach as soon as the question was tossed. “Siva is a fantastic player but he hasn’t been the same since that injury. I called him up to read about the player’s psychology. But that injury has hampered his play.” He still counts on him though. Saying that the only other major criteria for getting a ticket to Qatar would be December. First still being the national camp performances.
“Players released from the camp were carrying chronicle injuries”
A few players have been released from the camp sighting injuries. The list includes ATK Mohun Bagan’s hero Vishal Kaith, who won them two back-to-back penalty shootouts. He cleared that the players released from the camp have been the ones carrying chronicle injuries from the ISL. The only player injured during the camp was Suresh Wangjam, who didn’t follow the training instructions.
Chinglensana Singh and Brandon Fernandes were released from the squad following individual requests. Brandon wants to support his family to recover from his father’s demise whereas Sana’s house has become the victim of riots in Manipur.
Talking about riots and controversies, Igor Stimac refused to comment on the ongoing wrestlers protest in New Delhi. “I’m not in the position to comment anything on it. Please don’t ask me that.”
“Sunil (Chhetri) is the first choice as long as he keeps up his standard”
The never-ending concern regarding the striker position is one of the most desperate questions the Croatian would have ever faced in India. And he must have been tired of it. “Sunil (Chhetri) will be the first choice as long as he keeps up his standard. Even in the ongoing camp, he has come top five in every test,” the coach backed his skipper.
Regardless of the club form, Chhetri turns up for the national side. He gave a brilliant example of it when he outdid his season tally in the three Asia Cup qualifier games last year.
Earlier on, Ishan Pandita remarked that being an Indian striker is a sticky situation. Just recently AIFF abolished overseas players from third division and beyond. But Pandita’s national team head coach demands more. He wants the abolishment to be extended to the I-League. “They (Indian Strikers) need gametime. For that, the overseas need to be changed. Maybe remove them from I-League as well,” said the 55-year-old.
“Full back positions are wide open”
Over the time period of his tenure, Igor Stimac has had his trusted set of players or ‘core’. Speaking of which, he said, “We do have a core base of players but we’re always looking to strengthen each position in the squad and the competition for them is most welcome. As of now, I would say that the fullback positions are wide open.”
“We need more physical and mental strength in these positions and a better understanding of how to defend more than how to attack because when we are up against good wingers, our fullbacks face problems in closing down gaps and preventing crosses.” He added that in a tournament like Asian Cup, one can’t let Aussie players cross as they are good at aerials.
“We need more physical and mental strength in these positions and a better understanding of how to defend more than how to attack because when we are up against good wingers, our fullbacks face problems in closing down gaps and preventing crosses.” He added that in a tournament like Asian Cup, one can’t let Aussie players cross as they are good at aerials.
The coach believes that it’s too soon to comment anything on the Asian Cup ambitions, which is to be held next year.
“What happens in the Asian Cup will depend on our preparation in December”
Bhubaneshwar will host Vanuatu, Mongolia, and Lebanon in the Intercontinental Cup from June 9 to June 18. It kicks off the new season as well as a long series of games for India in the buildup to the Qatar Asian Cup.
“We will play many matches before the end of the year but they don’t have much of a connection to the Asian Cup because what happens in the Asian Cup will depend on our preparation in December, and the amount of time we get for it. Football is a kind of sport where things are changing on a daily basis. Who will be the best-performing players in December has nothing to do with what we are doing now, to be honest.”
“We expect all our players to maintain their fitness level which will not be easy because there is a long season to come, which is far different than the previous years. They will need to find the mental strength to stay in form and maintain their fitness until the Asian Cup,” explained Stimac.
The Intercontinental Cup will open with a 4:30 PM kickoff between Lebanon and Vanuatu at the Kalinga Stadium. Following which, India will play the 183rd ranked Mongolia from 7:30 PM.
Follow our website for more updates on Indian Football!
