A mirage of expectations: India hope for Doha miracle as Asian Cup begins

Tribune News Service

Daman Singh

Chandigarh, January 11

Ever since Igor Stimac’s men touched down in Doha about a week ago, the air hovering about them has been a melange of fear and belief.

At the same time, it is also dipped in deja vu. The AFC Asian Cup, starting tomorrow, inevitably rolls your memory back to 2011, when India had qualified for the tournament for the first time in 27 years and were subsequently thumped by Australia, South Korea and Bahrain in the group stage.

Thirteen years down the line, India have qualified for an unprecedented second successive Asian Cup on the back of a highly successful year wherein they won three trophies and enjoyed a spectacular home run of 15 unbeaten matches.

India’s matches

vs Australia (January 13 )

vs Uzbekistan (January 18)

vs Syria (January 25)

You don’t have to look far to see the thread running through the two editions — the setting is the same: Doha; their group opponents are just as tough: Australia, Uzbekistan and Syria; and the chances of progressing to the knockouts: slim, as they were back then.

Yet, the fans believe. The team holds on to the dream. It is primarily because they have come a long way since 2011, and the fact that they almost made it past the group stage in 2019 will only empower them.

But to be in control of their destiny, they ought to be in control of their nerves. In 2019, India defeated Thailand 4-1, lost 0-2 to UAE and were on their way to the knockouts before conceding a last-minute penalty against Bahrain in a 0-1 loss.

Defence the key

India have an appetite for frustrating the Asian heavyweights, with the 0-0 draw against a peaking Qatar five years ago being the highlight.

Since then, they have vastly improved at the back – thanks to Stimac’s stubbornness and reiteration of making India a solid defensive unit.

Their 2023 success, wherein they reeled in eight clean sheets, was a result of a sturdy defence after all.

Knowing they will not see much of the ball against Australia and Uzbekistan, who are possession-based teams, India will have to keep their defensive shape intact throughout and wait for the right time to execute a rattling counterattack.

Adventurous full-backs Akash Mishra and Nikhil Poojary will again be crucial to Stimac’s attacking plans, especially in their link-up play with Chhetri and Lallianzuala Chhangte. However, they will have to choose carefully about when to go forward as any space left ajar at the back will be exploited at breakneck speed, such is the level of these teams.

A long shot

Snatching a win seems a long shot against the likes of a World Cup-level Socceroos and a momentum-gathering Uzbekistan in their first two matches of Group B.

But if India can eke out a win against a revamped Syria and secure a draw in either of the David vs Goliath contests, it could thaw their rigid fortunes as the four best third-placed teams are to reach the knockouts apart from the top-two finishers across the six groups.

Mathematically, Sunil Chhetri and Co. will need at least four points from the three group games to advance. Far-fetched it might be, but don’t forget that the football folklore is inundated with miracles sprung by underdogs.

Title favourites

JAPAN

• FIFA ranking: 17
• Best finish: Champions (1992, 2000, 2004, 2011)
• Coach: Hajime Moriyasu

South Korea

• FIFA ranking: 23
• Best finish: Champions (1956, 1960)
• Coach: Juergen Klinsmann

AUSTRALIA

• FIFA ranking: 25
• Best finish: Champions (2015)
• Coach: Graham Arnold

Qatar

• FIFA ranking: 58
• Best finish: Champions (2019)
• Coach: Tintin Marquez

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