Moments after humbling India 2-0 in the SAFF Cup final,Afghanistan coach Yousef Kargar declared: India’s rule (in South Asia) is over. India though,continued to be in denial,claiming that the better team lost.
The SAFF Cup,until now regarded as a futile exercise for India as no rating points are awarded for the event,has served as a reality check. A country struggling to put together any kind of football infrastructure defeated India a result that could only push Indian football out of public consciousness.
Though shocking,Afghanistan’s win over India cannot be described as a ‘surprise’. For a country where sport was severely restricted from 1996 to 2001 and football stadiums were used to stage executions,Afghanistan’s rise to prominence is nothing short of a fairytale. Despite the lack of facilities,they had been catching up with their South Asian rivals before finally overtaking them. FIFA ranked Afghanistan 189th in February,22 rungs below India. Currently,they are 132th,23 places above the ‘Blue Tigers.’
In stark contrast India,where FIFA has invested close to $20 million in developmental projects in the last five years,has failed to make the most of it.
The I-League is on life-support even as the new IPL-style tournament gains momentum,and thanks to that,half of the national team players are without a club. Understandably,coach Wim Koevermans cut a worried figure on Wednesday. It’s easy to blame him and the team,but unless the AIFF addresses the larger picture,things can only get worse.
(Mihir is a senior correspondent based in Mumbai) mihir.vasavda@expressindia.com
