ONLY TWO PLAYERS FROM THE 2011 ASIAN CUP SQUAD — SUNIL CHHETRI AND GURPREET SINGH SANDHU — ARE PART OF THE 2024 EDITION, AND THEIR LEADERSHIP WILL PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN INSPIRING THE TEAM
“We're going to do everything, but there is no time for us to work (enough) in the 12–13 days. It's nothing to prepare for the teams we're going to face.”
Injury concerns
While India has experimented with formations throughout 2023, its most consistent shape has been 4-2-3-1, with a congested mid-block in front of a four-man backline to thwart counterattacks.
In defence, Anwar’s absence will be the biggest hole. The Mohun Bagan Super Giant defender was not only a left-footed centre-back but also a ball-playing one, creating pin-point long balls for counterattacks. Though Mumbai City FC captain Rahul Bheke is expected to partner Sandesh Jhingan, two defensive-minded centre-backs will not offer balance in Stimac’s preferred shape.
“Injuries don’t help. When you lose a couple of main players, never mind their age or experience, it is much more difficult because there is a reason why he is there in the starting eleven,” Stimac said.
While Stimac has gone with the trio of Ashique, Sahal Abdul Samad, and Lallianzuala Chhangte — in
Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Vishal Kaith.
Defenders: Akash Mishra, Lalchungnunga, Mehtab Singh, Nikhil Poojary, Pritam Kotal, Rahul Bheke, Sandesh Jhingan, Subhasish Bose.
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Deepak Tangri, Lalengmawia Ralte, Liston Colaco, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Udanta Singh.
Forwards: Ishan Pandita, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Manvir Singh, Rahul Kannoly Praveen, Sunil Chhetri, Vikram Partap Singh.
front of the double pivot in the midfield — for most of 2023, Ashique’s injury will see Naorem Mahesh take up the spot along the left, with Sahal playing the No. 10 role.
Anirudh Thapa is expected to orchestrate attacks from the midfield, but India will have to dig deep to find options for the defensive midfield role, with Jeakson ruled out.
Though Lalengmawia Ralte and Suresh Singh will be the preferred options for Stimac, a narrow-attacking approach by a more physical team — which is the case with all three opponents — can leave India bitterly exposed when out of possession.
However, Stimac’s biggest headache will be the No. 9.
While Chhetri, India’s highest goalscorer of all time, has owned that position for the last decade, age will be a huge factor — he is 39 — against physical teams from
India’s group.
It is this position that might see a youngster find his own ‘Subrata Paul moment’ in the Asian Cup, filling in the boots of a legend.
Ishan Pandita and Manvir
Singh, both of whom have played as No. 9 before, will have their trials by fire for this spot in Doha.
Asian Cup favourite
The AFC Asian Cup will be the perfect opportunity for host Qatar to recover from the wounds of the FIFA World Cup on home soil in 2022. The Asian champion became the worst-performing host in World Cup history after losing all its games, conceding seven goals, and getting knocked out.
It has changed two managers since and will hope to defend its crown under former Espanyol manager Tintin Marquez, with stern competition from Japan, Iran, South Korea, and Australia.
Qatar will look for goals from its most dependable forward, Almoez Ali, who has been equally adept in front and along the wings.
Almoez, the Golden Boot winner in the last edition of the tournament, holds the record for most goals in a single edition of the Asian Cup (nine goals) and has become more threatening under former Paris Saint-germain manager Christophe Galtier at Al Duhail.
Japan, the most successful team in the competition (four titles), was the giant killer in the FIFA World Cup 2022, beating former world champions Germany and Spain. Winger Kaoru Mitoma, who had suffered an ankle injury, has made the cut and will be key for Japan, which enters the event as the highest-ranked Asian side.
South Korea, on the other hand, will look to make the most of the European experience of its players, with 12 out of 26 playing professionally in Europe. Tottenham’s Son Heung-min, who has been in fine goal-scoring touch in the Premier League, will hope to inspire South Korea, runner-up in 2015, to bag the top honour.
So India has its task cut out. It may lack depth, but so did Morocco, playing against then-world No. 2 Belgium, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, and the 2010 World Champion Spain — opponents it persevered against and won at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Stimac’s India would look to take a leaf out of the same book to pull off the perfect underdog success story.