CHENNAI: SUNDAY was a noteworthy day for India U20 men's national football team. The team, under the watch of Mahesh Gawali, took a massive step by making the cut for the AFC U20 Asian Cup for the first time since 2006. And they did so the hard way as they barely managed to qualify.
That had looked unlikely after a crushing 4-0 defeat against hosts Uzbekistan in their second outing during the qualifiers. But they had bounced back in an emphatic fashion, beating Bangladesh 3-0 in their next outing. However, their fate still hung in the balance. Much to the team's delight, they could finally celebrate when third-placed Syria lost against Uzbekistan in their final group game, confirming India's qualification in the process.
In the build-up to the qualifiers, the Blue Colts had a rare meeting with Bengaluru FC's first team featuring the likes of Sunil Chhetri and Ryan Williams in Bengaluru last month. Even though the youngsters had lost 0-3, Gawali felt that had handed the team a strong base to build upon.
"We played against many local clubs there. And then we played Bengaluru FC. That match, which we lost 0-3, gave us the reality check we needed. We came to know how we have to approach matches going forward," he told this daily in a virtual interaction.
Following that experience, which was part of preparations, they had gone unbeaten against U20 sides of Singapore and Yemen.
"But we knew we have to work for more because we knew that Uzbekistan, Syria and Bangladesh will be tougher. And that gave us the motivation and that gave us the confidence to grow," he said.
The team was under massive pressure after their aforementioned loss against Uzbekistan. Gawali said that the boys had used SAAF Championship final loss in April against Bangladesh as a fuel before their latest meeting, something that helped them produce a crucial win.
"The match was already finished. We shifted our focus to the next match. I showed them where we have to do better and then the boys also knew that. The motivation to play Bangladesh was high. They wanted to avenge that SAAF Championship final loss," he revealed.
Now with the Asian Cup already in his mind, Gawali felt that friendly matches against Asian teams in the tournament will help them prepare well and make them a team to be feared. "I definitely want to play with higher quality teams. So we can see where we are and how we can be better. Just like how the Senior teams have FIFA international friendlies window where they play matches, I believe the U20 should also have a window to play as many friendly games as possible," he said.
Youth leagues, experience in Asian tourneys paid off
Gawali credited Indian football clubs and Reliance’s Youth Football League (RYFL) for the players’ development. "The boys are having more competition. And there, I think they are getting developed. I think we need to have more and more games for these youth teams of high quality. There will be a lot of changes," he said. With the likes of Danny Meitei Laishram, Vishal Yadav and Sumit Sharma Brahmacharimayum having been part of previous U17 teams in AFC Asian Cups, Gawali believed that such players give the required edge in matches. "The pathway of players playing in continental age-group tournaments should continue. This will make the transition from junior to senior team easy," he said.
