BENGALURU: Hours after the Supreme Court directed the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to adopt the new constitution and ruled out fresh elections, AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey and the rest of the Executive Committee members seemed a relieved bunch here on Friday.
In a year where the AIFF has faced stern criticisms due to concerns surrounding the Indian Super League (ISL), the governing body has been riding high over the successes of both the men's and women's national teams more recently.
With the men's team, Khalid Jamil coached India to a respectable bronze medal finish in the CAFA Nations Cup. Considering the fact that the team had only won once under the previous management, led by Manolo Marquez, Jamil's men were able to put up a noteworthy fight.
Despite not much preparations, India were able to upset higher-ranked teams like Tajikistan in the group phase and Oman in the third-place play-off.
However, the upcoming AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against Singapore next month would be Jamil’s biggest challenge in his tenure as coach. One welcome boost for him would be the return of ace defender Sandesh Jhingan, who had been forced to undergo a surgery after sustaining an injury to his cheekbone in the Nations Cup. "Yes, he (Jhingan) will be available for those games," Jamil told reporters here.
Games against Singapore (on October 9 and 14) will be critical, as India are languishing in bottom of Group C in the qualifiers, with lower-ranked teams like Bangladesh and Hong Kong placed higher. Considering the good performances at the CAFA Nations Cup last month, expectations will be high on Jamil to help India qualify. "The pressure will definitely be there on us. Without pressure, I cannot work. We have to prepare very well and just give our best to get a positive result. We have to be prepared for all situations," he added.
When he begins work on the training pitch from Saturday, one thing that will be running in Jamil's mind is the dearth of goal-scorers in the side. In the games that India have played, goals have come from set-pieces, and the defenders have scored twice. Post the retirement of Sunil Chhetri, the new stock of Indian forwards have failed to impress. Marquez, Jamil's predecessor, then had to urge Chhetri to come out of retirement in March this year to help the team.
A solution proposed by Chaubey in June was to bring in a world-class striker to mentor young forwards in India through special "crash courses." Jamil provided the latest update on it. "The concerned department from the AIFF has short-listed a number of young strikers. They will be part of this 'finishing school', where strikers will get specific training to score or convert opportunities into goals. With the consultation of the chief coaches here, and with support from overseas, these finishing schools will take place," he said.
These schools will take place for a "certain period of days" every three months, the former goalkeeper said.
Chaubey focussed on ISL
Now that the Supreme Court has ruled out fresh polls in the AIFF, Chaubey and Co would have leeway in conducting the ISL later this year. On Monday, the national football governing body roped in KPMG to overlook the tender process, which is expected to complete in October.
Last month, the FSDL and the AIFF told the Supreme Court that the FSDL is willing to forgo its rights in running the league, prompting a search for a new commercial partner. "We are trying to be dedicated, determined and focussed. We will ensure that certain things will be done. Leagues need to be completed on or before 31st of May. So we have to ensure that the beginning of the league is according to that calculation," he said.
Plans for women before AFC Asian Cup
Meanwhile, the women's team will be keen on building a strong platform after securing qualification for the women's AFC Asian Cup, scheduled to be held next year in Australia. "We are planning camps from October to prepare for the tournament. We are set to have some friendlies with tough oppositions as a mode of preparations," said India women's team head coach Crispin Chhetri. To ensure that the preparations are not affected, the Indian Women's League is set to be postponed from January to March next year, just after the continental tournament.
For U17 and U20 women's coach Joakim Alexanderson, a plan to take his wards to Europe for a few friendlies is on the menu.
