On Christmas Day, 2018, Shaji Prabhakaran, president of the Delhi Soccer Association, tweeted lamenting the “unnecessary negative headlines” that had hit Indian football. Prabhakaran was referring to the decision by broadcasters to reduce the number of the season's remaining I-League matches being aired. The decision had created a storm as football fans hit out at the AIFF's apathy toward the league.
Less than two weeks on, Indian football would have its biggest—and certainly most positive—headline in ages. Against all odds, the national team had squarely beaten Thailand 4-1 in the opening match of its much-awaited return to the AFC Asian Cup.
To put things in perspective, this is India's only third appearance at the continental event and its last win came in 1964, when only four teams participated. This is also India's biggest victory at the Asian Cup, bettering its 3-1 win over Japan 55 years ago.
Goals by Sunil Chhetri (2), Anirudh Thapa and Jeje Lalpekhlua sealed the victory. The last time India participated in the Asian Cup in 2011, it conceded four goals in every game of the group stage. Australia, Bahrain and South Korea won 4-0, 5-2 and 4-1 respectively.
Sunil Chhetri celebrates after scoring | AFP
Admittedly, that was a tougher group than this time. Thailand and Bahrain are ranked lower than India, while the host UAE poses the group's biggest threat. India's hopes of advancing past the group stage hinged on this game against Thailand. After the other two teams shared the spoils 1-1 in their opening game, India now tops a group it was expected to finish bottom.
India only need a draw now to seal their place in the round of 16. Even if it loses its next two games, chances of advancing are strong. Four of the best third-placed teams from the six groups will join the top two from each group in the next round. The three-goal advantage cushion should help.
It was a night to remember. Thailand were slow but confident on the ball while India preferred to press and storm forward. India's counter-attacking approach looked risky and dangerous, as it left them exposed in midfield. But fortune favoured the brave as the Thai failed to capitalise on it.
Towards the end of the first half, it looked like Thailand would take control and it seemed like only a matter of time before they would finish the game. The half ended 1-1. But India was clearly the more determined team in the second period and scored three more goals.
India crushed the game in the second half with the kind of clinical finishing that would be rarely associated with it. The Indian attackers grabbed every half chance they got, and it rained goals—beautiful ones that too. Though it was clear that the Thai were strong on the ball, when passing and moving forward, they were sloppy and uninspired.
A win for India against Thailand after 33 years was made all the more sweeter by the fact that the War Elephants had turned down a proposal to play India in a friendly back in April 2018. The Thailand FA wanted a stronger opposition and chose to play China instead.
The loss to India came as a rude shock to the Thai. The stunner came the morning after the game when Thailand announced that the coach Milovan Rajevac had been sacked with immediate effect. Rajevac is the man who memorably led Ghana to the 2010 World Cup quarterfinal. The Thai FA criticised his defensive style of play.
Going into the next fixtures, this result and mentality could be a big boost for India. The UAE, whom India will be playing next on Thursday, is a far superior and better organised side than the south east Asians, who succumbed to India's electric attacks. The Emiratis have a disciplined defence. Bahrain, though ranked lower than India, could prove to be a sterner test, too.
Another significant outcome of the victory is the relief it brings coach Stephen Constantine. The Englishman, in his second stint with the India national team, has been heavily criticised for his counter-attacking game and his unpopular team selections. Despite guiding the team through a 13-game unbeaten streak in 2016-17 and helping India qualify for the Asian Cup, Constantine's contract which ends with this tournament has not been renewed.
There were arguments that India did not deserve the 97 rank that it currently holds. If those were against weaker opponents that helped India shoot up the FIFA rankings, the team had entered this tournament on the back of four winless games, three of which were against higher-ranked oppositions. Things did not look pretty for Constantine and the national team.
Moreover, the reported tension between coach and legend Sunil Chhetri is said to have been the cause for Constantine's impending exit and the removal of Chhetri from the post of captain this tournament. Constantine has insisted that he wants to rotate the captaincy and Chhetri has accepted it.
But this victory should put to rest fears of this cold relationship affecting the team. Chhetri's professionalism meant that though he is one of the greatest Indian players of all time, and the most experienced player in the team, he has put his head down and worked hard to put the team first over his reputation.
At 34, Chhetri is aging like fine wine and is still the game-changer in this squad. His two goals meant that he has 67 goals for India, once again surpassing Lionel Messi to be the second highest active international goalscorer, after Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo has 85.
India's Sunil Chhetri (right) fights for the ball with Thailand's defender Chalermpong Kerdkaew | AFP
The other positive from the game was the emergence of youngsters on the big stage. Ashique Kuruniyan, 21, and Anirudh Thapa, 20, were the star performers of the day. Ashique's selection up front next to Chhetri had drawn much scepticism, but his energy and pace ripped apart the Thai defence. Thapa's presence of mind in midfield and his cool finish to make it three for India belied his inexperience.
India's bench strength—Jeje came on as a substitute to score—and their relentless attacking added to the charm. India had only 35 per cent possession, but made every bit of it count.
All said and done, this is just a start. There were plenty of errors from India, mostly poor judgment in tight situations. A wayward pass here, a poor clearance there, and a couple of slip-ups in marking could have gone punished against a sharper team. And those will come, as the competition progresses.
The hype machinery could tend to go into overdrive and even start dreaming of the 2022 World Cup after India eventually exits the tournament. But as both Constantine and Chhetri explicitly stated after the game, one should not get carried away by the result. This is a big moment for Indian football, but there is much to do and much more to come.
