The triumph of the underdog is sport’s best story because it has every element of an unequal contest. It is also a rare thing. Which is why it shouldn’t surprise that India couldn’t pull off one in the 2024 Asian Cup football tournament. Anything apart from three defeats against teams ranked 77, 34 and 11 places above them would have been a result worthy of hosannas.
Based on FIFA rankings in December 2023, the website ‘Khel Now’ calculated that at an average ranking of 71.5, India’s group was the toughest in the 24-team competition. The averages of the remaining five groups were over 80 with Group A which had hosts Qatar, China, Tajikistan and Lebanon the highest at 87.5.
At 102, India were ranked the lowest in the group. Which wasn’t the case in 2019 when they opened with a dazzling 4-1 win against Thailand. A late penalty against Bahrain after a valiant fight against hosts UAE meant India finished last then. Which is where they ended this time too.
The performance of the national team cannot be separated from the standard of the country’s top league. Between 2019 and now, Indian clubs have failed to progress beyond the first knockout round of the AFC Cup and often lost badly in the Asian Champions League. Also, India have never qualified for any Asian men’s age-group competition above under-16. Syria, Uzbekistan and Australia, who were in India’s group, have done that regularly and gone deep in the competition too. And between India’s Nehru Cup wins against them, the last of which came nearly 12 years ago, Syria have become stronger adding eight naturalised players.
So, with injuries to four key players – Anwar Ali, Ashique Kuruniyan, Jeakson Singh and Sahal Abdul Samad; the spine according to head coach Igor Stimac – India would have needed a miracle in Doha. That too in a competition from where China, whose spend on football is several multiples of India’s, and Vietnam, who had been consistent in all levels of the men’s game in Asia, were eliminated in the group stage. Till the end of Tuesday’s matches, Tajikistan are the only team to have made the round of 16 who are ranked below India.
But only fighting spirit and hard running – India had both in spades – do not fetch points in football. India had five attempts on target. Only Malaysia, Oman and Kyrgyz Republic have had fewer and they have a game in hand. Against teams superior in technique, bigger in size and more mature, it was a given that India would not get too many chances. What was disappointing was not being clinical with what they got.
Without a goal in his last five internationals and three in the 2023-24 Indian Super League, Sunil Chhetri wasn’t at his sharpest. Given that he had scored eight of India’s 21 goals in 2023, that would always be a problem. One which was aggravated by none of the others who got goals last year looking like they could score. Though India did not concede from set-pieces, which was one of the briefs for Trevor Sinclair, the former England international’s impact on wing play and attacking set-pieces looked limited.
With nine players who had prior Asian Cup experience, India were mostly second-best in duels, lacked accuracy in passing and shooting and didn’t look sure when playing out from the back. Since taking charge in 2019, Stimac has got India to have more of the ball instead of looking for the quickest way to the front third. It looks good but when it happened in 2023 against teams not this strong, it was after long preparatory camps. Thirteen days of training before playing Australia is clearly not enough.
What could also worry Stimac is full backs Akash Mishra and Nikhil Poojary’s poor form. And that no one from the bench made an impact. Contrast this with Syria’s goal coming from a substitute and Australia’s second being created and finished by players who didn’t start.
But the Asian Cup also showed that Subhasish Bose’s positional sense, anticipation and clearances have got better; Deepak Tangri and Lalengmawia Ralte are ready for international football; and Rahul Bheke, who played every minute of the campaign because Anwar Ali was unavailable, was sure in his defending. Syria made the round of 16 with as many attempts on target as India, so with a bit of luck this campaign could have ended better.
The experience of playing stronger teams could help India in the World Cup qualifiers later this year. If India make the third round of the qualifiers, it will also mean a berth in the 2027 Asian Cup and four years to prepare for it. Only by regular appearances can India’s results in Asian Cup improve. Delulu is the solulu? With football in India, there is not much else.
