What Sunil Bhai has done is impossible to replicate in coming years: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu ahead of Sunil Chhetri's last Indian national team match

The Indian football team goalkeeper spoke ahead of the crucial match

Indian men’s football team is all set to face Kuwait in their next match of the second round of 2026 World Cup Qualifiers at the Salt Lake Stadium on June 6, 2024. 

The Blue Tigers are in group A of the qualifiers and have only managed to win one match with time by defeating Kuwait 1-0. They have also managed a draw in the group-stage fixtures against Afghanistan and are in second place with four points from four matches. 

The upcoming match is going to be a huge challenge for the Indian team as they have been going through poor form in recent times and the match is also to be a huge attraction for the football fans of the country as the ever-competitive Sunil Chhetri is going play his last match as he has announced his retirement. 

Ahead of the match, Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu had an interaction with the media and answered their queries related to the match. 

Special match for Indian fans

Undoubtedly Indian fans will be keen to witness their skipper Sunil Chhetri in the blue jersey. Gurpreet who has been a teammate of Chhetri for a long time, expressed his feelings regarding the striker’s retirement. 

He said, “I still think that it’s too early. I have tried to convince him that no problem if the video is deleted. We can make a new video. But I think it’s a moment that we all should celebrate for such a big character in Indian football. And I personally have been fortunate enough to enjoy the majority of my career with him. I can’t even remember how many years I’ve worked behind him for matches and it’s always been an honor.” 

“For now, what we are trying to focus on is the game and obviously it’s an important game and a big game. But what is more important is the opposition and how we are going to play and get a result. So more focus is on that and hopefully we can give a good sending off to our captain’, he added.

We are giving our best

In the last couple of matches, the Indian team hasn’t performed at their best. They have lost crucial matches and haven’t managed to secure a win against lower-rank teams. 

When a question was raised regarding the performance, Gurpreet replied, “Commitment is always 100%. Obviously, there are games where you don’t do well and there are games where you do well. That’s how football works. We are putting the hard work on the ground and giving our best every day on the training pitch. We are also keeping the energy very positive no matter what has happened in the past.”

Loss against Afghanistan

Although the Indian team managed a draw against Afghanistan in their first match, they lost the second by 2-1, which was largely criticized by the football enthusiasts. Gurpreet stated about not repeating the same mistakes again and again and moving forward to achieve better results in upcoming matches.

“Mistakes happen and that is something which is very normal in football. I think that we need to make sure we don’t repeat those mistakes against a better opposition. We’ve had a good history against better opposition for a lot of years now. Just hope that in the next match everyone is ready and will put their best foot forward to come out as the winner”, the Indian goalkeeper stated. 

Crowd’s commitment

It is known to everyone who follows football that the Kolkata crowd always comes in numbers to support their team irrespective of their past results. Something such is also going to be witnessed in the next match. Gurpreet also applauded the Kolkata crowd for their commitment towards the game. 

He said, “It is always a bonus to play in a place where the passion is so high and the commitment is not only from the players but also from the people outside the ground. I have no doubts about it. That people will show up in the stadium and help us get those three points that we need.”

Confidence about his performance

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has been a pillar of the Indian side for years. His performance has only improved over time. When a question was raised regarding his form, he replied to it in a positive way, “I think I am in a good space. Every year I feel like I have gotten better only. I just hope that I keep myself up to the mark and keep myself injury-free. Because my work is to be available in the team. And the rest is left to the staff.”

Kuwait is a strong side

Indian team defeated Kuwait in their last encounter in the first leg of the second qualifier match. When a comparison was asked to be made between Kuwait and Afghanistan’s teams, Gurpreet stated, “Kuwait has better players and more experienced players. They have played at a very good level in Asia and even on the world stage. Obviously, due to the complications in the past with their national team, they were below in rankings, but that’s not the fair value of the team. I definitely think they are a much better side and a very strong side.”

Special Moment with Sunil Chhetri

Gurpreet has been a teammate of Sunil Chhetri for years. They both have also been representing the same club Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League. 

Although Gurpreet didn’t put forward much of his special moments with his captain, he added some as he said, “I would say definitely my national team debut having him in front of me and BFC debut also were very special. I would say his hat-trick that he hit in the Intercontinental Cup and the winning goal against Kyrgyzstan were very special moments.”

Note for the captain

The senior member of the Indian men’s football team expressed his emotions regarding the retirement of their captain and also stated how new players need to show up and perform. 

He stated, “What Sunil Bhai has done is something which is impossible to replicate in the coming years. Yes, we have experienced this in the last few years, playing without Sunil Bhai. And it’s not that we have done really bad. We need to manage things without him. Eventually, this was bound to happen and we have to learn how to cope without a captain. New players need to show up and help the team and the nation march forward.”

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