New Delhi: India can secure their place in the Finals of the AFC Asian Cup 2019 on Wednesday with victory over Macau, with coach Stephen Constantine confident football in the nation is finally on the cusp of gaining global recognition.
With the country currently hosting the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017, India’s senior team could make a significant mark by defeating Macau in Bangalore to maintain the country’s perfect run in Group A.
“A win will qualify us, so it’s a big game,” said the Englishman, whose side have a perfect record after their first three qualifiers.
“And if you combine this with what’s happening with the Indian Super League, it could be really big for Indian football. We also hope the U-17s can do well.
“For us it’s about this qualification, but if you put all of those things together and India does not burst on to the world football scene after this, then it never will.”
For a team seen as perennial underdogs, the qualifying rounds for the AFC Asian Cup 2019 have seen a shift in approach forced upon Constantine and his squad as they have dominated Group A.
After back-to-back wins against Myanmar and Kyrgyz Republic, the team’s new-found status became apparent to Constantine when his squad arrived in Macau ahead of Matchday Three.
“No sooner had I set foot in Macau than there was a camera crew at the airport and they said we had come to score five or six goals against Macau.
"I told them I wouldn’t dare disrespect your national team in that manner,” he said.
“We are not a team that is used to being expected to win.
"For many years we have been like Macau, so for us to become a team where we are expected to win by three or four or five is something we’ve not had before.”
India ran out 2-0 winners in the first meeting and another three points would secure a place at the Finals for the second time in three tournaments.
While the Indians appeared in Qatar in 2011 having won the AFC Challenge Cup, Constantine feels things are different this time around.
“I think this is possibly the biggest game in India for many years because of what the result will mean,” he said of Wednesday’s showdown.
“I know we’ve been to the Asian Cup before but I think the circumstances of qualification were somewhat different. This is doing it the hard way, I believe.
“We will have to be patient. We will have to try and unlock them because Macau will come and defend deep as they did at home.
"It will be about taking the opportunity when it comes. You can’t discount them. I saw them against Kyrgyz Republic and they had two or three opportunities and they only lost 1-0.
“You have to respect them, and I do. They’ve got one or two players who are quite quick and they can punish you, so if you don’t pay attention to your shape and what’s going on behind, you could get caught out. And we don’t want that to happen.
“We will be ready for them, we know what to expect and we will be patient and look for the opportunity to score.”
While India lead the group with maximum points after three games, the battle for second place is wide open.
Myanmar currently occupy second place, level on points with Kyrgyz Republic with both nations having only played twice as a result of the postponement of their scheduled meeting in Bishkek in September.
And Macau, runners-up in the AFC Solidarity Cup in Kuching, Malaysia last year, retain their own slim chances of sealing second place despite having not picked up a point so far in their opening three matches.
Photos: AFC
Source: the-afc.com