NEW DELHI: Ahead of the King’s Cup, India’s captain and all-time leading scorer Sunil Chhetri told reporters that Abdul Sahal Samad would be one of the future stars for the country. True to form, the 22-year-old has been one of the few bright sparks for Igor Stimac in his short reign as coach. The Croat has trusted youngsters and while the likes of Samad and Amarjit Singh have impressed, the team has had to deal with losses in the King’s Cup and Intercontinental Cup. As the national team gears up to play two World Cup qualifiers — against Oman on September 5 and Qatar on September 10 — Samad is desperate to show the team is heading in the right direction.
“The coach believes in youngsters and that gives each one of us confidence. Now we have to take responsibility on the pitch. The game against Oman is going to be tough but we have been training well and hope to create history in front of home fans,” the Kerala Blasters player said. Initially called up by former coach Stephen Constantine, the midfielder made his debut against Curacao in Thailand, winning a penalty in the first half which the skipper converted. Though the Blue Tigers went on to lose 1-3, Samad still cannot get over the match.
“I recall every single detail. Wearing the jersey for the first time made me emotional. I was nervous but I calmed down soon enough. Now that I have played a couple of matches for the country, my appetite has grown and I want to keep improving and helping the team.”
Born in Al-Ain, UAE, Sahal played for his school there before enrolling in an academy. But the best decision of his life was coming to India for higher education. “Most people take the opposite route. My brother and father helped me take that difficult decision and things have turned out quite well.” He went on to play college-level football in Kerala and was eventually roped in by the Blasters from where he made it to the national team.
Regarding the national camp, Samad said it was tough and competitive with all the players looking to impress the coach. “He keeps us on our toes. The best thing about him is that he always asks us to enjoy ourselves when we play. The camp can be quite daunting for youngsters like me but all senior stars try and make it comfortable for us. Our goal now is to make the country proud.”