Six vs 138 is an oddity in any sport. On Saturday, in Kolkata, that rarity will be on display.
The Indian men’s national football team, never to have graced a FIFA World Cup, will line up against Brazil, the most decorated nation in the history of the competition.
Ever since the fixture was announced, it has been enveloped in a swirl of polarising discourse, much of it coloured by India’s recent struggles – only a solitary win in the 11 fixtures prior to the ongoing international window.
Yet, with a spirited 1-1 draw against Panama – ranked 92 places ahead of India – the Blue Tigers offered their own spin into the narrative. Shrouded in pessimism, the players provided a flicker of possibility, a reminder that Indian football need not be consigned to a narrative of perpetual decline.
Against Brazil, India will take the field not to take selfies, but to win, asserts Gupreet Singh Sandhu. On the eve of the fixture, the captain speaks with The Indian Express in a freewheeling chat.
Excerpts:
How did you react when you learnt India will be playing against Brazil?
Honestly, the first thing I did after hearing the news was do a fact-check. We’re a team that mostly plays opponents from Asia, and sometimes from Africa. To hear we will be playing Brazil came as a bit of a surprise. Now that it is coming to fruition, though, I feel very proud. They are one of the biggest teams in the world, and we want to play against such teams. I know it is only a friendly – it is not like India are playing Brazil in the World Cup. Still, to play against the five-time champions is a huge honour.
At the same time, football is about competing, and I don’t want to get so caught up in pride and honour that I forget why we play. It’s also a good test for us. We need to be ready to perform, we want to give a good account of ourselves and a tough fight to Brazil. Our mindset is that we will go out there to win.
Ideally, what should the implication of this game be?
I am hoping that this game will open the door for future match-ups like this – to show others that India is an opponent worth playing, and as a nation, it is a place worth coming to. Just because it didn’t happen before and now it is doesn’t mean it can’t happen again. We know we are facing a superior team. We know we will be playing against players who play 50-60 games per season, while we have not even started our league campaign yet. The gulf is evident. So, it is about leaving your 100% on the field, and giving a good account of yourself.
Do you feel the lack of game time will affect your players?
That is the elephant in the room for everyone to see. Our opponents have played 6-7 matches in their season already, and we have not begun yet. Some of us have played in the Durand Cup, but not everyone. That has to be looked at – we need to be in synchronisation with the world. The number of games will increase as the number of teams grows, but as an ecosystem, we should look at starting and finishing seasons at the same time as the rest of the world. That keeps us at the same pace as the national teams we face, because match fitness and game feeling both matter. Going into your first game of the season, it takes time to adjust. I am sure that those who have played in the Durand Cup will be in better shape than those who have not, because game time makes a real difference.
Every four years, we engage in this discourse of a nation of 1.5 billion not being at the FIFA World Cup. As a player, how do you deal with it?
Who doesn’t want to be at the World Cup? All of us do, but there is a process. But first, we must understand that the urgent matter right now is getting to the Asian Cup. Once we’re there, we need to qualify out of the group into the knockout stages. Once we start getting into the knockouts of the Asian Cup on a regular basis, your chances of doing well in the World Cup qualifiers will naturally increase.
The Indian team prioritised the friendlies against Brazil, Panama and Uruguay over the ASEAN Cup. What is your reaction to it?
At the ASEAN Cup, we were supposed to play three games, with a possible fourth if we reached the finals. When the conversation started about Brazil, my only concern was skipping three-four games to play just one. It’s a big window and we need to use it to play at least three games. But eventually, the AIFF managed to finalise two more friendlies in this window, so it worked out well in the end.
Regardless of who we face, it is always good to have that many games. The coach can look at most of the squad, give us game time, and make his assessment of his plans. We will soon compete in the next cycle of the Asian Cup qualifiers, and we need a team that is well-rounded.
The discourse around the Indian football team often tends to take a negative turn. How do you deal with negativity?
We can’t control what people say – negative or positive. Whatever we do in life, there will be some people who will only have negative things to say. That’s a part and parcel of life I welcome all messages from the fans – both good and bad.
I have a simple message – it is a great opportunity to see people who have just played the World Cup live. There are the players we only get to see on television. If you love football, please take this opportunity to come to the game and watch. I promise that we will go out there to give our best, and put up a tough fight. We are not playing Brazil to click selfies. We’re going to perform at our best levels.
The Indian team has long associated the word “leader” with Sunil Chhetri. Now that you are the leader, how are you handling it?
I enjoy the leadership role, to be honest. Sunil bhai has done a massive service to Indian football, with the kind of numbers he has produced at world level. When an Indian footballer’s name is said alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, you know it is a big achievement. His contribution to our game remains unmatched. But things move on in football.
Now that I have that responsibility, I’ll do my best to set a good example and help the team in any shape or form, on the pitch or off it. That’s what I learnt from Sunil bhai. He leads by example. On the pitch, he does every single rep of whatever is required, and that shows everyone else that if he is doing it, they have to do it too. That’s the best example I take from him, and I’ll try to replicate it in the camp and hope other players see it and help each other do the same.