Latest news with #SunilChhetri
India Gazette
12 hours ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
Know Your Opponents: India and Thailand renew rivalry in men's football
Pathum Thani [Thailand], June 1 (ANI): From the Asian Games to the Asian Cup, from the King's Cup to the Nehru Cup, the history of India versus Thailand clashes in men's football is a long one. Including the first meeting, which India won 4-1 at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, the Blue Tigers and Changsuek have played 26 times, as per the AIFF official website. The head-to-head reads seven wins for India, 12 for Thailand, and seven draws. The previous two matches, however, were both won by India in 2019. A sensational 4-1 win at the AFC Asian Cup 2019 in Abu Dhabi, before a narrow 1-0 victory to win bronze at the King's Cup on Thai soil. Sunil Chhetri, who scored the first two goals in the Asian Cup victory, reminisced about the performance that ended India's 55-year wait for a win at the continental showpiece event. 'That was a long time back. What I remember of the game was that the team was outstanding. (Anirudh) Thapa was amazing. So was Udanta (Singh Kumam). The defence was amazing. Ashique (Kuruniyan) started with me, and he was good. The whole team was really, really good in that game,' he told 'I think at that time, Thailand were probably better than us on paper by a mile. We were underdogs in that game, and to win the game the way we did -- it wasn't just four goals but the way we held ourselves and dominated the game -- was really fantastic,' said Chhetri, who became the first Indian to score at two Asian Cups in that game. The 40-year-old added that it serves as a source of motivation for the Blue Tigers as they prepare to face Thailand again in the FIFA International Friendly on June 4 at the Thammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani. 'That's also a marker for us to know that on a good day, if we work hard, that's what we can achieve. That game was special because a lot of young people did really well. So, we are taking a lot of positivity and inspiration from the game,' said Chhetri. While India are currently placed 127th in the FIFA Rankings, Thailand are 99th. The Changsuek have risen 14 places since Japanese coach Masatada Ishii took charge in December 2023 and led them to the round of 16 of the Asian Cup a month later. Except for missing out on the third round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers after finishing behind Korea Republic and China in the group, 2024 was a fairly successful year for Thailand. They won the King's Cup after beating the Philippines and Syria, and were finalists in the Asean Championship, losing 3-5 on aggregate to Vietnam. For the Changsuek, the friendly against India serves as preparation for their AFC Asian Cup Final Round Qualifier against Turkmenistan. Thailand began their campaign with a 1-0 win over Sri Lanka in March -- a game the island nation 'did not deserve to lose,' according to Manolo Marquez. Among those who ply their trade outside Thailand are midfielder Jaroensak Wonggorn (Cerezo Osaka in the Japanese top tier), midfielder Ekanit Panya (Ehime FC in the Japanese second tier) and defender Elias Dolah (Bali United in the Indonesian top tier). Domestically, BG Pathum United and Muangthong United contribute the most to the Thai squad, with five and four players each, respectively. The notable names in the Thai squad are captain and midfielder Chanathip Songkrasin, who is the most experienced player with 70 caps, forward Supachai Chaided, Swedish-born defender Elias Dolah, midfielder Ben Davis, who has three goals in just six caps, and Italy-born defender Marco Ballini, with a towering height of two metres. Indian winger Lallianzuala Chhangte shared his thoughts on Thailand, which will be a solid test before the Asian Cup Qualifier against Hong Kong. 'We played against Thailand multiple times. They are a good team, a hungry one. They like to make runs behind. They are also a team that want to play with the ball. But again, we are totally focused on ourselves. It's all about executing what we have been doing on the training pitch in the match. And if we can do it, I believe we can win these two matches (against Thailand and Hong Kong),' said the 27-year-old. (ANI)
Hans India
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Hans India
Chhetri recalls India's 'fantastic' 2019 AFC Asian Cup victory ahead of Thailand friendly
From the Asian Games to the Asian Cup, from the King's Cup to the Nehru Cup, the history of India versus Thailand clashes in men's football is a long one. Including the first meeting, which India won 4-1 at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, the Blue Tigers and Changsuek have played 26 times. The head-to-head reads seven wins for India, 12 for Thailand, and seven draws. The previous two matches, however, were both won by India in 2019. A sensational 4-1 win at the AFC Asian Cup 2019 in Abu Dhabi, before a narrow 1-0 victory to win bronze at the King's Cup on Thai soil. Sunil Chhetri, who scored the first two goals in the Asian Cup victory, reminisced about the performance that ended India's 55-year wait for a win at the continental showpiece event. "That was a long time back. What I remember of the game was that the team was outstanding. (Anirudh) Thapa was amazing. So was Udanta (Singh Kumam). The defence was amazing. Ashique (Kuruniyan) started with me, and he was good. The whole team was really, really good in that game," he told the AIFF's official website. "I think at that time, Thailand were probably better than us on paper by a mile. We were underdogs in that game, and to win the game the way we did — it wasn't just four goals but the way we held ourselves and dominated the game — was really fantastic," said Chhetri, who became the first Indian to score at two Asian Cups in that game. The 40-year-old added that it serves as a source of motivation for the Blue Tigers as they prepare to face Thailand again in the FIFA International Friendly on June 4 at the Thammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani. "That's also a marker for us to know that on a good day, if we work hard, that's what we can achieve. That game was special because a lot of young people did really well. So, we are taking a lot of positivity and inspiration from the game," said Chhetri. While India are currently placed 127th in the FIFA Rankings, Thailand are 99th. The Changsuek have risen 14 places since Japanese coach Masatada Ishii took charge in December 2023 and led them to the round of 16 of the Asian Cup a month later. Except for missing out on the third round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers after finishing behind Korea Republic and China in the group, 2024 was a fairly successful year for Thailand. They won the King's Cup after beating Philippines and Syria, and were finalists in the ASEAN Championship, losing 3-5 on aggregate to Vietnam. For the Changsuek, the friendly against India serves as preparation for their AFC Asian Cup Final Round Qualifier against Turkmenistan. Thailand began their campaign with a 1-0 win over Sri Lanka in March — a game the island nation 'did not deserve to lose,' according to Manolo Marquez. The notable names in the Thai squad are captain and midfielder Chanathip Songkrasin, who is the most experienced player with 70 caps, forward Supachai Chaided, Swedish-born defender Elias Dolah, midfielder Ben Davis, who has three goals in just six caps, and Italy-born defender Marco Ballini, with a towering height of two metres. Among those who ply their trade outside Thailand are midfielder Jaroensak Wonggorn (Cerezo Osaka in the Japanese top tier), midfielder Ekanit Panya (Ehime FC in the Japanese second tier) and defender Elias Dolah (Bali United in the Indonesian top tier). Domestically, BG Pathum United and Muangthong United contribute the most to the Thai squad, with five and four players each, respectively. Indian winger Lallianzuala Chhangte shared his thoughts on Thailand, which will be a solid test before the Asian Cup Qualifier against Hong Kong. "We played against Thailand multiple times. They are a good team, a hungry one. They like to make runs behind. They are also a team that want to play with the ball. But again, we are totally focused on ourselves. It's all about executing what we have been doing on the training pitch in the match. And if we can do it, I believe we can win these two matches (against Thailand and Hong Kong)," said the 27-year-old.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Marquez names 28-member squad for men's Indian football team
The National coach Manolo Marquez announced a squad of 28 players who will be part of the upcoming international engagements of the senior men's Indian football team. India will be taking on Thailand in an international friendly on June 4 before travelling to Hong Kong to play the second group league match (group C) of final round AFC Asian Cup qualifiers on June 10. Sunil Chhetri, who came out of international retirement before the start of the final round of qualifiers, will be leading the challenge as India aims for its third successive qualification to the main stage of the continental competition. The squad underwent a short preparation camp of six days at AIFF's National Centre of Excellence here before leaving for Thailand where it will be having some more training sessions before playing the Friendly. A final selection of 23 players who will be figuring in the matchday list of the Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong will be done after the Thailand match. India was held to a goalless draw by Bangladesh in the first group league engagement of the qualifiers making it crucial for the former to secure a result in its second outing. The Indian national squad members Goalkeepers - Hrithik Tiwari, Vishal Kaith, Gurmeet Singh, Amrinder Singh; Defenders - Naorem Roshan Singh, Rahul Bheke, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Anwar Ali, Boris Singh Thangjam, Sandesh Jhingan, Asish Rai, Subhasish Bose, Mehtab Singh, Abhishek Singh Tekcham; Midfielders - Suresh Singh Wangjam, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Udanta Singh Kumam, Lalengmawia Ralte, Liston Colaco, Ashique Kuruniyan, Brandon Fernandes, Nikhil Prabhu; Forwards - Sunil Chhetri, Edmund Lalrindika, Manvir Singh, Suhail Ahmad Bhat, Lallianzuala Chhangte. Head Coach: Manolo Marquez; Assistant Coach: Mahesh Gawali.
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First Post
5 days ago
- Sport
- First Post
Sunil Chhetri coming out of retirement 'bad news for Indian football', says ex-India midfielder
Sunil Chhetri had reversed his international retirement less than a year after bidding the Indian team an emotional goodbye to represent the Blue Tigers in their AFC Asian Cup Qualifying match against Bangladesh in March. read more Legendary Indian forward Sunil Chhetri had bid international football goodbye in June last year, only to make a U-turn less than a year later. Reuters Less than a year after he , legendary forward Sunil Chhetri found himself answering an SOS call from the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and to represent the Blue Tigers in their AFC Asian Cup qualifying game against Bangladesh in Shillong in March. It wasn't a one-off appearance against Bangladesh for Chhetri though, as the 40-year-old, who continues to play for Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League, has also been by coach Manolo Marquez. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Former India attacking midfielder Shanmugam Venkatesh, for one, isn't a fan of Chhetri having to come out of international retirement after a legendary career spanning 19 years, describing it as 'bad news for Indian football'. More from Football 'It's demotivating for all the young players' Venkatesh, who currently serves as assistant manager at iconic Kolkata club East Bengal, further revealed that he has asked a senior player to step aside in order to allow Chhetri to make his debut back in 2005, when he was captaining the Blue Tigers. 'Two decades ago, I told a senior player to hang up his boots so a young Sunil Chhetri could rise. But now Chhetri breaking his retirement to come back is bad news for Indian football. It's demotivating for all the young players. I'm not blaming Chhetri. He will play only one or two matches. But if you bring a youngster and back him now, he will give 10 years,' Venkatesh told The Times of India. Venkatesh added that the superstar's return essentially highlights the fact that Indian football does not have enough talent coming through to fill the void and cannot function without Chhetri, one of the country's greatest footballers of all time and certainly the standout player since the turn of the millennium alongside Baichung Bhutia. 'Indirectly, we are sending a message to everyone that we don't have enough players. We are seeing that a lot of grassroots programme have come and there are a lot of tournaments. Still, we are depending on the 40-year-old striker?' added Venkatesh, who has also served as assistant coach to the Indian football team in the past. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India face Thailand in an international friendly on 4 June, which will be followed by their second AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against Hong Kong on their turf on 10 June.
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)
