Sunil Chhetri has been representing India in football for nearly two decades but the Indian legend is eager more than ever to keep going.
Leading the Indian men’s football team to an 11-match unbeaten run in 2023 along with clinching the Tri-Nation Cup, Intercontinental Cup and the SAFF Championship, Sunil Chhetri is now moving his attention to the King’s Cup in Thailand and the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia come September and October, respectively.
All in preparation for the AFC Asian Cup next year in Qatar.
India have been drawn alongside Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria and Sunil Chhetri believes the run of recent results will help with the team’s confidence going into the continental tournament.
“When you start winning games, it adds to your confidence. The good part is that when we meet teams like Iraq (King’s Cup), we get to gauge ourselves and know where we stand against teams of a certain standard," Chhetri said during an interaction with the media on Sunday.
“We’ve already played well against Lebanon and Kuwait, so we know where we stand against Syria, who are probably a notch higher, but are of a similar quality," he added.
Chhetri believes that playing against higher-ranked opponents in the run-up to the AFC Asian Cup will help India not only gauge their preparation but also prepare for the tough test ahead.
“(Playing) Iraq will tell us what we need to do against Uzbekistan, and then, maybe closer to the Asian Cup, we need to play one of the top teams in Asia, like Iran, Japan, or the Korea Republic, in order for us to be better prepared for Australia," Chhetri said.
When asked about his personal expectations and how he would approach the tournament, Chhetri said: “I’m not sure what my expectations are exactly for the future, and that’s the way I am. I only keep short-term targets. I don’t know about targets for the Asian Cup or the World Cup Qualifiers, but we are going to take things on a short-term basis and keep fighting. This is what I’ve been telling the whole team."
Given India’s recent good results and attention, Chhetri urged India’s youngsters to keep their heads down and carry on.
“This limelight that we’re getting we all like it, but we cannot get ahead of ourselves. There is an invisible pressure on everyone, and we like it, we enjoy it. It’s not just us players or coaches, but everyone – AIFF, the Government, the clubs, and the corporate houses. Even the media as well. Everyone is under an invisible pressure when we need to perform," said Chhetri.
Indian football team head coach has called for at least a four-week camp to do well in the Asian Cup with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) being coy, indicating that his demand would be difficult to meet as the Indian clubs may not agree to release their players for such a long period in the midst of the domestic season.
Sunil Chhetri echoed the demand saying a longer camp would help him and the team.
“Eventually, how many days we get (for national camp) depends on the talks (among the stakeholders) but I really hope to get as many days as possible," Chhetri said.
“For a team like ours, especially for the Asian Cup, where we know we will face the likes of Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria, longer camps would always be helpful. When the boys play at the ISL, they are playing at a certain level. But let’s be honest, when we meet Australia, we would meet competition that is a couple of levels higher, if not more. That’s the reason why when we come together and train, we know that it helps a bit. That is the reason why we need longer camps, and to play 2-3 friendlies against some of the top teams in Asia," Chhetri added.