Why AIFF must do more for India than arrange friendlies against Nepal

After the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in June, India will now play two friendlies against Nepal this week.

With the world regaining normalcy after the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, football too is taking baby steps towards what it used to be. International break is back and India will play two friendlies against Nepal on September 2 and 5 respectively. The matches are set to take place at the Dashrath Stadium in Tripureshwor.

Head coach Igor Stimac has named a squad that features Sunil Chhetri among regulars with two new names – Seriton Fernandes and Rahim Ali. After a long wait, the FC Goa right-back looks set to make his national team debut. Rahim, after a decent season with Chennaiyin FC, might get a look in as well.

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The senior national team recently played two friendlies in Kolkata to prepare for the friendlies, winning both. The first match against the IFA XI saw youngster Akash Mishra score in the final minutes of the game. In the second against Mohammedan Sporting, Farukh Chaudhary and Ishan Pandita scored second half goals to keep the ball rolling and prepare the right way for Nepal.

But, does tn team stand to gain anything from the games against the neighbours? Let's reflect.

Contrast in rankings

India are 105th in the FIFA ranking, while Nepal are 168th. Although rankings don’t always tell the full story, the gulf is there for everyone to see. The hosts have been poor of late against better teams, defeating only Chinese Taipei and Bangladesh in the past 12 months. In the last four games, they have let in 12 goals, while scoring just four times.

Nepal Vs India (Head to head)

Over the course of history, Nepal and India have shaken hands 19 times on the football pitch so far, with India coming out victorious 13 times. Four games have ended in a draw and Nepal have won twice. India have found the back of the net 33 times, while Nepal have been able to conjure just nine goals so far. For a manager that wants to ‘improve’ his players, ‘be brave’ and implement a style, the upcoming matches shouldn’t be any bigger than a training drill.

A change in approach?

Igor Stimac, ever since he’s been in the job, has been very vocal and categorical about what he wants with the team. Before India played Oman and UAE in the international break in March 2021, the Croatian had said that ‘friendlies were an opportunity for youngsters to gain experience and they were not obsessed with results.’  

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Months later and after qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup final round qualifiers, the stance seems to have changed. India are playing a team who are well below in rankings and quality and hasn’t really challenged them enough in history. Why then would the entirety of an international window be used to play friendlies against them?

Several answers come up. Something’s better than nothing is one. But, with better planning and management, India could’ve ended up playing better sides such as Thailand or even a lower ranked European side. Is it stat-padding for the man who's been under pressure for the longest time and needs wins under his belt?

In 15 matches as manager of the Blue Tigers, Stimac has managed just two wins, six draws and seven defeats. His predecessor Stephen Constantine may not have been the flag-bearer of possession-based or attractive football, but his win percentage of 55 is way higher than Stimac’s 13.33%. Are friendlies such as these a move to improve that stat? Possibly.

Let’s analyze how Nepal look at the upcoming games for a moment. For our neighbours, they’re playing arguably the best team in SAFF, will get some really good preparation before the SAFF Championship in October this year and coach Abdullah Al Mutairi, might note down a few points on India’s weaknesses right before the tournament. Do India stand to gain the same or in any way except match practice? No.   

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Conclusion

The Nepal football team, after playing the two friendlies against India, are set to head to Doha to prepare for the SAFF Championship. India, meanwhile, have no such roadmap laying right ahead. The AIFF has not just failed to provide two ‘better quality’ matches (in terms of quality of opposition) to prepare the team, it has also failed to show the way ahead before a regional tournament.

Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Philippines are teams just above or below India on the ranking ladder and are at par or slightly better in terms of quality. International breaks come way in advance on the FIFA calendar and if planned well, can help a nation that plays its national league in a quarter of a year, while the rest of the world play it for 7-8 months. Be a little more proactive and plan better, AIFF – it will help the Blue Tigers.

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