There has been an unexpected makeover in Indian football.
For years, the lament was familiar: not enough matches, not enough meaningful opposition, not enough opportunity for the national team to test itself. India played only 10 games last year. Now, almost suddenly, the problem has inverted. India has entered an era of abundance, able to play four or five matches in a single FIFA international window.
With abundance comes complication. When there is too much football, the pertinent question is which football matters. A wrong answer risks laying bare myopic tendencies.
India were confirmed last month for the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, to be held in Indonesia from September 24 to October 3. They have been grouped alongside the hosts, Malaysia and Singapore: three teams who, on paper, sit much closer to India’s competitive orbit than the latest opponent AIFF announced, Brazil, who India host in Kolkata on October 3.
The AIFF, following its Executive Committee meeting on Thursday, announced it would field separate squads, since fielding the same players in both competitions is unfeasible.
“The AIFF will formally notify FIFA that India will participate in both competitions by fielding separate squads for the match against Brazil and the FIFA ASEAN Cup,” its press release read.
Indian football now faces an unusual question: where should its priorities lie, the glamour of a standalone fixture against Brazil, or the competitive grind of the ASEAN Cup?
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Amid reports the federation is considering prioritising the former, most former coaches favour the latter.
Pradhyum Reddy, former FC Pune City coach, tells The Indian Express: “The Brazil friendly is just pointless. There’s no real value in it, in my opinion. The ASEAN Cup, on the other hand, presents a very clear opportunity. For years, everyone has been saying that India needs to play at a higher level than the SAFF Cup. Now, you have an opportunity to play against the middle tier of Asian football. We have always said we should be playing against teams from the East rather than the West. Now, you’re getting exactly the kind of exposure people have been asking for — Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. And you’re turning your back on that opportunity?”
Sanjoy Sen, who won the I-League with Mohun Bagan, arrives at much the same conclusion: “What purpose does the Brazil game serve? Our priority should be the ASEAN Cup. If we can beat a team like Indonesia, then, as a coach, I would consider that Indian football has moved at least one foot, or perhaps half a foot, forward in terms of development and improvement.”
Mehrajuddin Wadoo, the former India defender now coaching Mohammedan SC, agrees. “Our priority should 100 per cent be the ASEAN Cup. Firstly, it is a set of competitive fixtures. There is a trophy to be won, prize money to secure, and crucial experience to gain. Yes, the Brazil match is exciting from the fans’ perspective. As someone who loves Brazilian football, I’m delighted they’re coming to India. But in terms of football, our focus should not be on Brazil.”
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Floyd Pinto, another former India player who coached the Indian Arrows, disagrees. “I would like to look at it positively. Tell me, which senior player would want to miss a game against Brazil? They could be playing against the likes of Vinicius Junior! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Yes, as a coach, I agree that the ASEAN Cup is also a good opportunity, but we are constantly asking why we aren’t using more young players? This is our chance to do that.”
“India lacks the depth to field two ‘A’ teams”
India, though, cannot treat the ASEAN Cup as an afterthought. The tournament is organised by FIFA, making a second-string team to Indonesia effectively untenable. Former AIFF secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran explains why.
“Normally, at this level of competition, there would be a written Participation Agreement. Generally in tournaments organised by FIFA, you have to send your ‘A’ team. That is how these tournaments work, because FIFA tries to protect the integrity and sanctity of the competition.
“The federation has to prioritise whichever option offers greater value in terms of the future prospects of the national team. We simply can’t say that we will field two ‘A’ teams, because we just don’t have the depth to field two ‘A’ teams.”
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Reddy’s answer: send India’s strongest side to the ASEAN Cup, and treat Brazil for what it is, a spectacle.
“From a footballing perspective, the Brazil fixture makes very little sense. We will only sit back and park the bus. In my opinion, this is just a posturing gimmick. It’s straight out of the Gianni Infantino playbook.”
Sen agrees: “For Brazil, this is mostly an exposure and commercial tour. For our players, it will be an opportunity to click photos and hang those on walls, but if we are talking about actual experience that can help us in the long run, the focus should be on the ASEAN Cup.”
