Dubai: Devoid of stars and experience, a depleted India team travels to Nepal for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup from March 8-19 to defend their 2008 crown.
Mohun Bagan striker Sunil Chhetri, aged 27, is the man left with big shoes to fill since the departure of the old guard under Bob Houghton and Bhaichung Bhutia, which won two Nehru Cups, two SAFF Championships and qualified for the 2011 Asia Cup.
But now, Chhetri and new coach Savio Madeira attempt to form an unlikely partnership that will reinstill hope and winning spirit into a team of youngsters who, after a brief revival under Houghton, must now start almost entirely from scratch.
Gulf News caught up with Chhetri when he was in Dubai with the Indian team on a pre-tournament training camp from February 15 to March 3.
Gulf News: What are your chances heading into the AFC Challenge Cup?
Sunil Chhetri: I think we really have a talented team right now, it's a very different team to the one we had before that won two Nehru Cups (2007, 2009) and the AFC Challenge Cup (2008). There was a lot of confidence while we were in that phase, but it's a new chapter now. The team has a lot of talent, we just have to blend that together to have a successful tournament. We are one of the better teams, I don't know about being the favourites but I think we're a good side.
What do you know about the opposition?
We played Tajikistan in the final of the last AFC Cup in 2008 and we've seen them on DVD since, they look good. The Philippines has been doing well and North Korea of course everyone knows from the 2010 World Cup. It's a tough pool and the first target is to play Tajikistan. We'll take it match by match and see how it goes.
Has much changed in ideology since Bob Houghton resigned?
Savio Madeira, the new boss, was Bob Houghton's assistant for five years. More or less what we do is the same in training and it's the same system as far as players are concerned. We've lost almost the entire starting 11 of that last AFC Challenge Cup there are only two — myself and Gouramangi Singh remaining. There's been a lot of change and we are still coping up.
Is that over reliance in youth and inexperience against you?
I wouldn't say it's against us but yes that's a bit of a concern. I wouldn't say it's a worry because when you look at lack of experience and youth you get the kind of other aspects like speed, killer instinct and enthusiasm. Everyone knows when you play a big tournament experience is important. I think that's where the boss and the players that were here before can help.
You had a trial with Glasgow Rangers, but what happened?
I went there last November and the whole point was to play a friendly against Hamburg. The boss Ally McCoist had seen me and Jeje (Lalpekhlua) on DVDs and wanted a closer look at us live. When we went there for four days the point was to play a match. We didn't get a visa for the Hamburg trip so we arrived in Scotland the first day and the squad had a match, the second they rested and the third they travelled to Germany.
We couldn't go there so the idea of a 4-5 day trial didn't materialise sadly. We've been on talking terms so hopefully we may go again.
With Rangers under administration their budget is frozen
I don't want to comment on that. You never know what's going to happen. When I went there I never knew this would happen [administration] in the same way I don't know what's going to happen between now and May.
Is it only a matter of time before an Indian is back in Europe?
I think we should send players out that's the whole point. It's very important for India that a lot of players go abroad. There are so many reasons for that. Firstly our league after a certain point becomes stagnant — it's improving — but players have to venture out and see what football actually is. It's not only going to make them more talented, but it will make them more knowledgeable and bring money back into the clubs.
Hopefully we can get a couple out and to follow up on that will see the game in India improve a lot.
Does Houghton's departure signal less overseas opportunity?
We were under him five years and it was one of the best times of my life honestly. But we cannot just keep cribbing over the fact he's not here anymore. We just have to keep trying. That's all we can do.
I talk to him from time to time regarding contacts, so let's see.
