Kalyan Chaubey reveals AIFF's ambitious plans to improve quality of forwards for Indian Football Team

The Indian Football Team have scored only in one match in the last eight.

The Indian football team have again been caught up in a goalscoring crisis, having been unable to score a single goal in their last three matches. They failed to find the mark in their losses to Thailand and Hong Kong recently, damning the Blue Tigers to two highly disappointing defeats.

Also Read: AIFF Press Conference REPLAY: President Kalyan Chaubey addresses media amid growing crisis in Indian Football

Increased playing time for Indian strikers

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) president, Kalyan Chaubey, agrees with the notion that Indian football lacks clinical goal scorers and lethal strikers. He insisted that there is a problem with clinical centre-forwards who can consistently score goals for the Indian Football team, stating in a recent press conference.

“Our main area of focus is the lack of goal scoring and the shortage of strikers. Anyone in Indian football will agree that is our major problem, ” said Kalyan Chaubey.

“I believe anyone who knows Indian football well will agree that a practical, collective decision is urgently required to ensure increased match time for Indian strikers. One possible measure could be to allow fewer foreigners and thus give more space to Indian strikers,” he also added.

Chaubey insists that the lack of playing time for Indian attacking players in a number nine role has resulted in them struggling to become potent goal scorers.

He added: “It is very difficult for a player who has played the supporting role or on the wings in the club for 11 to play a number 9 role in just 3 days! Sunil Chhetri is a legend and he’s doing great at 40, but we need more. Chettri was the only one proper striker to be a part of all the last three coaches’ squads.”

What measures are AIFF taking on this regard?

When asked if there is any pondering going on about potentially reducing the number of foreign players a team can use in the Indian Super League (ISL) or I-League, Chaubey responded with uncertainty,

“I cannot say anything about reducing the number of foreigners in the domestic league; it is the stakeholders’ decision, but in the interest of the national team, if they decide to give more time to Indian positive strikers, I will be happy to accommodate.”

Finally, the AIFF top brass hinted that the federation is trying their best to bring a FIFA World Cup-winning striker with an immense goal-scoring pedigree to India. The plan is for the said World Cup winner to spend a few days working with talented young forwards.

Chaubey revealed: “We are trying to get a World Cup-winning striker to come and help us. We are trying to identify 4-5 good strikers from the U-23 and train under him for some days, like practice their shooting skills and hone their goal-scoring instincts,” he finished with.

The Indian Football team has scored just five goals in their last eight matches, going without a goal on five occcasions in the clashes as well.

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