WC Qualifier: India looks to repeat SAFF Cup final show against Afghans

On the eve of their FIFA World Cup qualifier against Afghanistan in Dushanbe on Thursday, senior members of the 'Blue Tigers' are preparing for a repeat of the 2016 SAFF Cup final victory against their old foes.

Sunil Chhetri on Afghanistan football team

"They are a respectable side and they are not the same what they were a few years back. Some of the Afghani players were playing abroad and it was a good memory. But I would reiterate that there won't be any connection to what is going to happen tomorrow," star striker Sunil Chhetri sounded cautious before the match.

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"It was a good moment, of course, mainly because other teams generally look up to us as the formidable team in the SAFF region and everyone expects us to do well. Also, it was at our home. Another important reason was that Afghanistan were playing their last SAFF and they changed their zone later. It was very important for us to do well,” he added.

“Jeje was outstanding in the final. He scored the first goal and had an assist too. It was very sweet," he recalled.

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As the times have now changed, Chhetri believes that the upcoming World Cup Qualifier will hold no connection to the past matches. "I think the game was incredible. The amount of support and love we got from Kerala throughout the tournament was special. The final was a match which I'll continue to cherish always," goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu said. However, it was not just the SAFF win that made the match special for the India custodian. It was, in fact, the first time that he would take to the pitch in a home match.

"That was my first game at home for the Blue Tigers. It was a difficult game and Afghanistan had some quality players who were, at that time, playing in foreign leagues but we managed to get a result. They will pose a tough challenge for us," he said. 

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Pritam Kotal recalls match against Afghans

Fullback Pritam Kotal recalled the match and said that the team was in a 'nascent stage' and was, at that time, "growing from strength to strength. The team was at a nascent stage at that time and we were still learning together. The team was growing from strength to strength and that result played the role of a catalyst. Beating Afghanistan in the nail-biting final gave us much-needed confidence," he said.

"Now, we are more matured and we have grown as a team in the last four years. Given that we are going to face them away, we have to play intelligently and implement the coach’s strategies on the field. If we do that, we could come out with a positive outcome," Kotal further said.

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