Advertisement
Sunil Chhetri cautious of a 'respectable' Afghanistan side
Published at :November 14, 2019 at 5:44 AM
Modified at :December 13, 2023 at 1:01 PM
(Courtesy : AIFF Media)
The skipper along with Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Pritam Kotal opened up on memories of the 2016 SAFF Cup.
On the eve of their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 joint Qualifier against Afghanistan at the Republican Central Stadium in Dushanbe on November 14, 2019, senior members of the Blue Tigers family including Sunil Chhetri recalled the time when they overcame their old foes to lift the 2016 SAFF Suzuki Cup in Trivandrum. Zubayr Amiri had opened the scoring in the 70th minute, before Jeje Lalpekhlua drew level in two minutes. Finally, Sunil Chhetri, who finished the campaign with three goals, scored the winner in extra time. Although it was a “good memory”, Chhetri reminded that it “won't hold any connection” the two sides face each other on Thursday. [KH_ADWORDS type="3" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS] "It was a good moment, of course, mainly because other teams generally look up to us as the formidable team in the SAFF region and everyone expects us to do well. Also, it was at our home. Another important reason was that Afghanistan were playing their last SAFF and they changed their zone later. It was very important for us to do well,” said Chhetri, who went on to heap praise on fellow striker Jeje. “Jeje was outstanding in the final. He scored the first goal and had an assist too. It was very sweet," he recalled. As the times have now changed, Chhetri believes that the upcoming World Cup Qualifier will hold no connection to the past matches. "They are a respectable side and they are not the same what they were a few years back. Some of the Afghani players were playing abroad and it was a good memory. But I would reiterate that there won't be any connection to what is going to happen tomorrow," Sunil Chhetri sounded cautious before tomorrow's match. "I think the game was incredible. The amount of support and love we got from Kerala throughout the tournament was special. The final was a match which I'll continue to cherish always," goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu said. However, it was not just the SAFF win that made the match special for the India custodian. It was, in fact, the first time that he would take to the pitch in a home match. "That was my first game at home for the Blue Tigers. It was a difficult game and Afghanistan had some quality players who were, at that time, playing in foreign leagues but we managed to get a result. They will pose a tough challenge for us," he said. Fullback Pritam Kotal recalled the match and said that the team was in a 'nascent stage' and was, at that time, "growing from strength to strength”. [KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News | Article Continues Below"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS] "The team was at a nascent stage at that time and we were still learning together. The team was growing from strength to strength and that result played the role of a catalyst. Beating Afghanistan in the nail-biting final gave us much-needed confidence," he said. "Now, we are more matured and we have grown as a team in the last four years. Given that we are going to face them away, we have to play intelligently and implement the coach’s strategies on the field. If we do that, we could come out with a positive outcome," Kotal further said. The match will kick-off at 7:30 PM IST (7 PM local time) and it will be telecast live on Star Sports network and streamed live on Hotstar and Jio TLatest News
- Mohun Bagan vs Odisha FC: Three key battles that can decide ISL semi-final second leg
- Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr hails Rafael Nadal as 'Legend'; gifts tennis legend signed jersey
- RFDL 2024: Mumbai City FC vs Pax of Nagoa Live
- RFDL 2024: Adamas United SA vs Delhi FC Live
- Swami Vivekananda NFC U-20 2024: Bihar vs Andaman & Nicobar Live
Trending Articles
- Scouting Report: Who is East Bengal's bright talent Sayan Banerjee?
- Which clubs have won ISL Trophy in the past?
- Anju Turambekar appointed AFC Youth Panel Member to represent Singapore
- Hyderabad FC handed 'another' FIFA transfer ban
- Jahouh's domination and other talking points from Odisha FC's win over Mohun Bagan
Advertisement
Editor Picks
- All-Indian scorecard and other talking points from ISL semi-final between FC Goa and Mumbai City FC
- Which clubs have won ISL Trophy in the past?
- Anju Turambekar appointed AFC Youth Panel Member to represent Singapore
- Top five players with most away goals in UEFA Champions League knockout phase
- Hyderabad FC handed 'another' FIFA transfer ban