New Delhi: Six months into Sunil Chhetri’s retirement, India are none the wiser in search for their next dependable striker. That is as much of a worry for Manolo Marquez as is India’s inability to win a single international match in 2024.
Since succeeding Igor Stimac in July, Marquez’s biggest task has been to find someone who would be a dependable scorer for the national team. The Spaniard has called up some new faces, and tried different combinations but a grand total of only two goals in three draws and a defeat against unfancied opponents didn’t quite offer any solution to the issue.
But even if there is nothing, there is hope that in the 10-day training camp before hosting Bangladesh on March 25 in the first game of their AFC Asian Cup qualifier, Marquez would have a clearer idea of who could get him goals.
Crucial set of matches
Emerging on top from a group involving Bangladesh, Singapore and Hong Kong shouldn’t be difficult but if goals prove hard to come by, then who knows what could happen.
In the recent past, India had been held at home by Bangladesh, who like Singapore and Hong Kong are ranked below India (126). But that is hardly a yardstick for a country that aspires to feature in the Asian Cup regularly.
In January when they played in the continental tournament, they returned with tails between their legs after a scoreless, pointless campaign, finishing at the bottom of the 24-team competition.
Such an underwhelming performance followed by failure to qualify for the third round of FIFA World Cup qualifiers cost Stimac his job, though he managed to squeeze out $400,000 from the All India Football Federation as compensation. That crippled the already stretched coffers of the federation, forcing it to agree on a compromise with Marquez, who would continue to helm FC Goa simultaneously with the national team for the first year of his three-year contract.
Options too little, too less
Initially, Marquez persisted with mostly the same set of players that were with Stimac. But gradually he is bringing in new faces, of whom Farukh Choudhary and Irfan Yadwad have been fancied to lead the line upfront.
Choudhary scored his maiden international goal in a 1-1 draw with Vietnam, raising hopes for Marquez, even though it’s too early to say if he would really turn out to be an answer to India’s woes.
Ditto with Yadwad, particularly after Lallianzuala Chhangte, Manveer Singh and Rahim Ali all flattered to deceive when entrusted with the responsibility.
It might also be a reason why Marquez has persisted with Gurpreet Singh Sandhu despite the long-time first-choice keeper’s blunders under the bar. With Sandhu continuing to make mistakes in the Indian Super League for Bengaluru FC, Marquez would be really brave to pick him as No.1 ahead of the consistent Mohun Bagan custodian Vishal Kaith.
Chhetri, in contrast, has enjoyed a second wind in the final stretch of his career as he continues to creep in behind defenders to place the ball home or outjump them to win headers.
It has enabled the former India skipper to score nine times in the ongoing ISL to be its leading Indian scorer. A 40-year-old striker being the leading scorer among home-based players isn’t as much a reflection of his ability as the failure of his younger colleagues.
So much so, that many want Chhetri to come back out of retirement for the Asian Cup qualifiers. If that happens, it surely would point to India’s hollowness and desperation even more.
In the new year, despite problems aplenty on the pitch for the Indian football team, coach Manolo Marquez’s biggest headache will be to find a long-term replacement for the retired Sunil Chhetri. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
