CHENNAI: INDIAN football has had a harrowing time of late what with one negative story after another. But a silver lining has appeared in the form of the men's U17 team.
After a win (vs Chinese Taipei), draw (vs Palestine) and a loss (vs Lebanon) in Group D, their chances of qualifying to the U17 AFC Asian Cup were slim. Their last match in the group? An unbeaten Iran side, who have blown away their opponents. Before playing India, they had conceded only two goals, scoring nine. The visitors needed a draw to top the group to qualify to the tournament.
On Sunday (November 30), those in the Indian dugout were ecstatic after the final whistle at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad. After going a goal down in the first half, the Blue Colts bounced back to win the match 2-1. As a result, they topped the group and qualified to the tournament scheduled next year in Saudi Arabia.
Coach Bibiano Fernandes took the risk of resting their key players in their 0-2 defeat to Lebanon for the big game against Iran. After the defeat on Friday (November 28), the staff had made a compilation of video messages for their players from their parents. “Also, Khalid (Jamil) sir sent a video message. Also, Sandesh Jhingan, Rahul Bheke (India players), Renedy Singh (Bengaluru FC assistant coach), (Naushad) Moosa (men’s U23 coach) sent a video message for the boys. Just before we left the hotel, we showed that video to the boys and I think that was one of the things that really pushed the boys to their limits because that video was so emotional and touching. Even I felt it when I was watching the videos,” he explained in a media interaction on Wednesday.
He also recalled how one of the players responded to that video. “'Apne ma ko dekha, aur jo mujhe message mila to maine socha kaise bhi jeetna hai...’ (I saw what my mother said in the video, I thought I should win it at any cost) That was one thing I heard from one of the boys. I am sure that was one of the factors that got them fully ready to give everything,” he explained.
That does not take away the efforts the team put in, right from when they began to prepare in August.
Their first preparatory assignment was the South Asian Football Federation’s U17 championship in Sri Lanka, which they went on to win.
Then the team camped in Goa post the SAFF victory, before shifting base to Ahmedabad. There, they played four preparatory games from November 1 to 21. One thing that was notable in the selection was the preference of technical players — those who are good on the ball. “That technical ability is communication, decision and execution of it. How quickly you can communicate, decide and execute in less space and less time - If that ability is there in our boys, he can play at the highest level,” he explained.
