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Time of India
03-08-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Players want a quick resolution to the current controversy: Sandesh Jhingan on ISL crisis
Sandesh Jhingan has been the cornerstone of the Indian football team 's defence for more than a decade. He made his debut for the national team in 2015 and has since earned over 60 caps and has also captained the team. Edited excerpts from his conversation with Nirmal John on the issues currently plaguing the ISL: How do you view the current controversy as a player? Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category We want a quick resolution. We are going through something new right now. I'm just a footballer who's waiting, hoping that this gets resolved soon, so that we can get back to playing. That's what the country needs. We have very important games coming up in October for the national team, and we need to play to be match-fit and to give our best. What is the impact of ISL? I think every league, in a way, is judged on the basis of how well the country does internationally. The ISL started in 2014, and I remember our (Fifa) ranking back then was worse than 170. We were not in a great place. Since then, if you see the trajectory of the national team, we have played two consecutive AsianCups for the first time. Our ranking improved to 96. We had some big results. In that sense, I think we have done well, and ISL should get a lot of credit for it, as it really revolutionised Indian football and made it more professional. Many clubs say they are making losses because players are overpaid. In football, as in all parts of life, it is always about demand. Everyone's gonna look out for themselves. You want to look out for your family. And you are gonna ask what you think you deserve. And if the player is good enough, he will sustain it. Whether you are paid right or not, it will be judged on the pitch, and you will get to know whether that player deserved it or not. That is how it is all over the world. Of course, there should be a budget limit (salary cap) so that everyone plays by the same rules. I understand what the owners are saying, because they are the ones putting the money. There should be an ecosystem where everything is sustainable. If players keep demanding crazy wages, it's not sustainable. Budget limits and salary caps need to be followed strictly. Football in general should be made more sustainable. We want the ISL to be around for 100 years. The more sustainable it is for the clubs, the better it will be for players and the entire ecosystem of Indian football. Live Events How will players take it if we end up with the worst-case scenario—no league this year? It is going to be tough. At the end of the day, for players, this is our job—it brings food on our tables and sustains our families. It's going to hit us the same way it hits every other human being when the office gets shut or when they lose their job. I hope we don't come to that. I am worried that our national team will get affected as we have four important AFC qualifiers ahead of us in a short span of time.
United News of India
10-06-2025
- Sport
- United News of India
India set to take on Hong Kong in AFC Asian Cup qualifier clash
Kowloon (Hong Kong), June 9 (UNI) India will take on Hong Kong, China on Matchday 2 in Group C of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers Final Round on Tuesday, at the Kai Tak Stadium here at 17:30 IST. The Group C table is still a clean slate with all four teams level on a point apiece after both games on Matchday 1 on March 25 ended goalless. India and Bangladesh drew in Shillong, while Hong Kong also got a point away to Singapore. Only the group winners will qualify for the Asian Cup in 2027. India, who made it to two successive Asian Cups for the first time in 2023, are aiming to extend the historic streak. Hong Kong also qualified for the previous tournament, but with only one available berth, either side is bound to miss out. India head coach Manolo Marquez exuded confidence on the eve of the Blue Tigers' clash against Hong Kong. 'Our preparations have been much better this time, if we compare with the previous FIFA windows, where you practically don't have too much time. We had about three weeks to prepare, between Kolkata, Bangkok, and here in Hong Kong. And we are ready to perform. Nothing special,' said Marquez. 'The environment in the team is quite good as well. Obviously, in all teams across the world, the environment is better when you are winning games constantly. But the environment, the relationship between the players, regardless of the results, is very good,' he said. India centre-back Konsham Chinglensana Singh echoed the coach's words. 'We are well prepared for the game after three weeks in the camp. Mentally, and physically, we have prepared well, and are ready for the game,' he said. The Blue Tigers have not had the rub of the green in recent times. Out of the three matches they have played in 2025 so far, they have won one, drawn one, and lost their last match against Thailand last week. Márquez, however, is not too worried about the 0-2 defeat against Thailand. 'In my opinion, most coaches are not worried about the scores in the friendly games. We are focussing on the important match (Hong Kong),' he said. 'I know everyone speaks about the score (against Thailand). But if we scored from the chances we created, it would have been different. This is football.' In what will be the inaugural football match at the newly built 50,000-capacity Kai Tak Stadium, the tickets, reportedly, have sold out, and a full house can be expected on Tuesday. The stadium features a retractable roof, which will be kept closed during the match. On Monday, the Blue Tigers had an official training session at the venue to get a feel of the conditions. 'We will try to enjoy the situation in this stadium. I don't know if it will be completely full, but a lot of people will be there. It will be a nice event, but obviously, we are focusing on winning the game,' said Marquez. Hong Kong, China's head coach, Ashley Westwood, is no stranger to Indian football, having coached clubs like Bengaluru FC, ATK, and Punjab FC in India before taking up international coaching roles, first in Afghanistan, followed by Hong Kong. Westwood spoke highly of the development that Indian football has seen over the years. 'I went to India in 2013, and the country is a million miles away from where it was back then. I know their coach, I watched the ISL. He's a good coach, and he's been doing good things with FC Goa. He coaches right, he prepares right, and his players are always fit. 'The spirit's good in the squad, and everybody gets on with each other. We're looking forward to it,' he said. Hong Kong midfielder Ngan Cheuk Pan stressed on the importance for his teammates and him to focus on their own game, for the clash against India. 'We're following the tactics set by the coach and focusing on what we can do to improve our own performance. We want to be able to play our own game,' he said. India and Hong Kong, China have crossed swords 24 times. The Blue Tigers have won nine of these matches, while the hosts for Tuesday's game have won eight; seven matches have ended in draws. The match will be streamed live on FanCode. UNI BM
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Business Standard
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Business Standard
Coach Manolo optimistic on eve of India's AFC Asian Cup qualifier tie
The recent defeat against Thailand notwithstanding, India head coach Manolo Mrquez on Monday exuded confidence on the eve of their vital 2027 Asian Cup qualifier match against Hong Kong here. Placed in Pot 1 for the qualifiers, India, ranked 127th, got off to a slow start in the qualifiers with a draw against Bangladesh in March before losing 0-2 to Thailand in a friendly last week. "In my opinion, most coaches are not worried about the scores in the friendly games. We are focussing on the important match (Hong Kong)," Manolo said. "I know everyone speaks about the score (against Thailand). But if we scored from the chances we created, it would have been different. This is football." Out of the three matches they have played so far this year, they have won one, drawn one, and lost one. The Group C table is still a clean slate with all four teams level on a point apiece after both games on matchday 1 on March 25 ended goalless. India and Bangladesh drew in Shillong, while Hong Kong also got a point away to Singapore. Only the group winners will qualify for the Asian Cup in 2027. "Our preparations have been much better this time, if we compare with the previous FIFA windows, where you practically don't have too much time. "We had about three weeks to prepare, between Kolkata, Bangkok, and here in Hong Kong. And we are ready to perform. Nothing special," said Manolo. "The environment in the team is quite good as well. Obviously, in all teams across the world, the environment is better when you are winning games constantly. But the environment, the relationship between the players, regardless of the results, is very good," he added. India centre-back Konsham Chinglensana Singh echoed the coach's words. "We are well prepared for the game after three weeks in the camp. Mentally, and physically, we have prepared well, and are ready for the game," he said. India, who made it to two successive Asian Cups for the first time in 2023, are aiming to extend the streak. Hong Kong also qualified for the previous tournament, but with only one available berth, either side is bound to miss out. In what will be the inaugural football match at the newly built 50,000-capacity Kai Tak Stadium, the tickets reportedly have been sold out and a full house can be expected on Tuesday. "We will try to enjoy the situation in this stadium. I don't know if it will be completely full, but a lot of people will be there. It will be a nice event, but obviously, we are focusing on winning the game," said Manolo. Hong Kong's head coach, Ashley Westwood, is no stranger to Indian football, having coached clubs like Bengaluru FC, ATK, and Punjab FC before taking up international coaching roles, first in Afghanistan, followed by Hong Kong. "I went to India in 2013, and the country is a million miles away from where it was back then. I know their coach, I watched the ISL. He's a good coach, and he's been doing good things with FC Goa. He coaches right, he prepares right, and his players are always fit. "The spirit's good in the squad, and everybody gets on with each other. We're looking forward to it," he said. India and Hong Kong have crossed swords 24 times. The Blue Tigers have won nine of these matches, while Hong Kong have won eight. Seven matches have ended in draws.
Mint
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Mint
India coach Manolo exudes confidence on eve of Hong Kong clash
Kowloon (Hong Kong), Jun 9 (PTI) The recent defeat against Thailand notwithstanding, India head coach Manolo Márquez on Monday exuded confidence on the eve of their vital 2027 Asian Cup qualifier match against Hong Kong here. Placed in Pot 1 for the qualifiers, India, ranked 127th, got off to a slow start in the qualifiers with a draw against Bangladesh in March before losing 0-2 to Thailand in a friendly last week. "In my opinion, most coaches are not worried about the scores in the friendly games. We are focussing on the important match (Hong Kong)," Manolo said. "I know everyone speaks about the score (against Thailand). But if we scored from the chances we created, it would have been different. This is football." Out of the three matches they have played so far this year, they have won one, drawn one, and lost one. The Group C table is still a clean slate with all four teams level on a point apiece after both games on matchday 1 on March 25 ended goalless. India and Bangladesh drew in Shillong, while Hong Kong also got a point away to Singapore. Only the group winners will qualify for the Asian Cup in 2027. "Our preparations have been much better this time, if we compare with the previous FIFA windows, where you practically don't have too much time. "We had about three weeks to prepare, between Kolkata, Bangkok, and here in Hong Kong. And we are ready to perform. Nothing special," said Manolo. "The environment in the team is quite good as well. Obviously, in all teams across the world, the environment is better when you are winning games constantly. But the environment, the relationship between the players, regardless of the results, is very good," he added. India centre-back Konsham Chinglensana Singh echoed the coach's words. "We are well prepared for the game after three weeks in the camp. Mentally, and physically, we have prepared well, and are ready for the game," he said. India, who made it to two successive Asian Cups for the first time in 2023, are aiming to extend the streak. Hong Kong also qualified for the previous tournament, but with only one available berth, either side is bound to miss out. In what will be the inaugural football match at the newly built 50,000-capacity Kai Tak Stadium, the tickets reportedly have been sold out and a full house can be expected on Tuesday. "We will try to enjoy the situation in this stadium. I don't know if it will be completely full, but a lot of people will be there. It will be a nice event, but obviously, we are focusing on winning the game," said Manolo. Hong Kong's head coach, Ashley Westwood, is no stranger to Indian football, having coached clubs like Bengaluru FC, ATK, and Punjab FC before taking up international coaching roles, first in Afghanistan, followed by Hong Kong. "I went to India in 2013, and the country is a million miles away from where it was back then. I know their coach, I watched the ISL. He's a good coach, and he's been doing good things with FC Goa. He coaches right, he prepares right, and his players are always fit. "The spirit's good in the squad, and everybody gets on with each other. We're looking forward to it," he said. India and Hong Kong have crossed swords 24 times. The Blue Tigers have won nine of these matches, while Hong Kong have won eight. Seven matches have ended in draws.
India Gazette
25-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Blue Tigers can't wait to rectify past mistakes, says Sunil Chhetri
Kolkata, (West Bengal) [India], May 25 (ANI): Sunil Chhetri is the only Indian player to record an appearance in three AFC Asian Cups, according to a release from AIFF. The path to reach Asia's showpiece event is always a gruelling one. From scoring that unforgettable hat-trick way back at the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup final, which led India to the 2011 Asian Cup, to now battling for qualification for the 2027 edition in Saudi Arabia, Chhetri's longevity in the national team is unmatched. Between 1960 and 2007, India had only qualified for two Asian Cups. And now, as the Blue Tigers aim to script history by making it to three successive Asian Cups for the first time, Chhetri tags it as a 'bare minimum' requirement for the nation. But it's a year-long journey of qualification and the boys must take things 'game by game'. 'We should qualify for every Asian Cup, and it's mandatory. But I don't want to put pressure on the boys and the team. Let's take one game at a time. Hong Kong, of course, is going to be very crucial. But yes, for India, it's a bare minimum to qualify for the Asian Cup, so that we can test ourselves with the best in Asia and keep proving that we are improving,' said Chhetri. India were held goalless by Bangladesh on Matchday 1 of the Qualifiers in March, and will next face Hong Kong in Kowloon City on June 10. Before that, Manolo Marquez's men will play Thailand in a preparatory friendly on June 4 in Pathum Thani. 'The initial feeling after the Bangladesh game was that we let ourselves down, let the country down,' said Chhetri. 'And after I saw the replays, I thought we, as a team, could have done so much more. It was a huge opportunity to take the lead in the table, playing Bangladesh at home. We should have done so many things better. Ending up with just a point, I think we players have no one else but ourselves to blame. We didn't turn up the way we should have. And that is the reason why we drew the game. We've talked about it, we've seen the videos, and we can't wait to rectify it.' No one knows the hustle of the Asian Cup qualifiers better than the 40-year-old. After all, he has been the talisman in the previous three qualifying campaigns. The hat-trick against Tajikistan at the Ambedkar Stadium in 2008 ended India's 27-year wait for an Asian Cup appearance. The last-minute winner against Myanmar and that sensational strike against the Kyrgyz Republic in 2017 eased India's path to the 2019 tournament. Another Chhetri moment came in the 2022 qualifiers, when he scored a stunning free-kick against Afghanistan at the Salt Lake Stadium. Not to mention the brace against Cambodia. And so, despite India not making the best of starts to the current campaign, Chhetri knows that the road is a long one and there's a healthy amount of time available to put things on track. The work for the June FIFA window began in Kolkata on May 19, and with five full training sessions under the belt, everything is going as per plan so far. 'The first five days have been more about the physical aspect of the game. As the coach mentioned, many players have come in at different physical stages. To bring everyone on the same page for the first few days was quite intense. 'All the boys look good, everyone looks sharp and confident. We also had some video sessions where we had a lot of learning to take on board. Everything looks good,' said Chhetri. On May 28, the Blue Tigers will travel to Thailand, where they will have a few more training sessions before squaring off against the hosts at the Thammasat Stadium on June 4. The squad will subsequently depart for Hong Kong for their first away match of the qualifiers. Apart from the physical and technical preparation, the most important and simple need is to 'turn up,' according to Chhetri. 'The coach has got a bit of time to formulate a plan. We players have to make sure that we take everything on board and be in sync as to what the plan is, and go and try and execute it to the best of our ability. But more importantly, the mistake we made against Bangladesh was that we didn't turn up. And all the preparation, the technical aspect put aside, you have to go and show up. You just have to go and give whatever you have. 'We saw some clips of Hong Kong. We will watch more of them. But I think, right now in the stage that we are, we are thinking more about ourselves and slowly we'll progress into what the opponent is and how they play,' Chhetri said.(ANI)
