KOLKATA, June 7: Skipper Sunil Chhetri will get a chance to bolster his tally of 80 international goals as the Indian team gears up to steamroll 171st ranked Cambodia on Wednesday in its bid to make a fifth appearance in AFC Cup tournament proper.
With the next Asian Cup slated in late 2023 or early 2024 after the pull-out of China, Chhetri, who will complete 17 years in international football, might see this tournament as the ‘final frontier’ in his illustrious career.
“I want to qualify. If I’m not there, my country will be there. So, either I’ll be having a beer and watching Udanta sprint, or you having a beer and I’ll be sprinting there. But we want to be there,” Chhetri made his intention clear ahead of his 126th International appearance.
This is a tournament which gives India the best chance to qualify for the Continental trophy without much fuss but if there is a slip-up against lowly-ranked nation, Chhetri or coach Igor Stimac will have little room for justification.
The Blue Tigers under Stimac did not have a perfect build-up to the continental showpiece, having lost all their three international friendlies arranged in the lead-up to the qualifiers.
Up against an ‘unknown entity’ in Cambodia, Chhetri conceded that half the battle will be lost if they don’t do well against the minnows.
“We are playing them first. If we don’t do well against Cambodia, you have lost half your battle,” he pointed out.
With their Japanese tactician duo of Ryu Hirose and Keisuke Honda at their helm of coaching affairs, the Cambodians will look to surprise the home-backed Indians.
From an Indian point of view, the biggest setback for Stimac in the recent past has been the injury to striker Rahim Ali, who started forming a strong attacking force with the livewire Chhetri.
Ali is forced out with a muscle injury.
In-form Liston Colaco, Manvir Singh and Udanta Singh can give some options but it’s difficult to match Ali’s ball control and precise passing. (PTI)
