Male: So far unbeaten but extremely disappointing India took on hosts Maldives in their last round-robin league match of the SAFF Championship here on Wednesday, knowing full well that nothing less than a win would save them from elimination. A draw or defeat would put India out of the running for the final of the regional tournament and it would be the worst result for India in recent memory, which could also call into question the continuity of head coach Igor Stimac at the helm of affairs.
The worst performance for seven-time champions India prior to this edition was a third-place finish in 2003 and the country has either won or runner-up in the previous 11 editions. In the five-team tournament, the top four teams compete for the final to be held on October 16.
With five points from two draws and one win, India are currently third behind Maldives (6 points from three matches) and Nepal (6 points from three matches). Nepal will play Bangladesh (fourth with four points) in their earlier match on Wednesday. Two-time and defending champions Maldives have never been an easy opponent for India in the history of this regional tournament, although the island nation is ranked 158th, 51 ranking points below India in the FIFA charts.
The team, led by veteran Ali Ashfaq, one of the best strikers in the region, regrouped after losing their first match against Nepal, beating Bangladesh 2-0 and Sri Lanka 1-0. Like India captain Sunil Chhetri, 36-year-old Ashfaq has carried Maldivian football on his shoulders for a long time, scoring two of his team’s three goals in this tournament. Undoubtedly he would be the person India has to beware of.
India felt the absence of veteran Sandesh Jhingan in the deep defense as they could not defend a 1-0 lead against 10-man Bangladesh, who equalized late despite numerical inferiority. In the second match against 205th-ranked Sri Lanka, the Indian forwards, including Chhetri, had a day off as they could not create enough chances and were unable to fill whatever scoring opportunities they had for a 0–0 draw. failed.
Chhetri came to the team’s defense once again against Nepal, scoring the deciding goal to equalize the legendary Pele in the previous match, but the question remains how long the country will depend on the 37-year-old warrior to find the opposition trap. Nippy winger Udanta Singh has been inconsistent though he has shown his abilities in the flanks, with Seriton Fernandes in defense and Brandon Fernandes in midfield.
Clearly, Stimac has lamented his forward’s inability to convert scoring opportunities. “We need to improve our scoring, which we are producing,” he added. Still confident that his side can reach the final, he said. With football-crazy Maldives likely to play their 12th player on Wednesday, the onus is on Stimac and his men to avert the country’s worst football notoriety in a long time.
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