India, following the last-minute squad announcement, will play their opening match without any training and proper rest and will be the clear underdogs against a formidable China in their Asian Games group match in Hangzhou on Tuesday. India could only put together a finals squad on Friday and the team left for China on Sunday, leaving no time for the players to even train together. Moreover, two players – defenders Konsam Chinglensana Singh and Lalchungnunga – out of the 22 selected players will join later as their visas were not yet ready. However, the chef de mission of the Indian contingent, Bhupinder Singh Bajwa, has said that the duo will get their ‘express visas’ in a day or two and will join the team.
The duo will in any case not be available for the Group A match against China on Tuesday and that will be a blow for India. Head coach Igor Stimac also said on Sunday that senior defender Sandesh Jhingan and talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri will not play the opening match to spare them for the later two matches.
Chhetri only started training a few weeks ago as he needed time with his family after recently becoming a father.
Stimac’s move is understandable as India is more likely to win against Bangladesh (September 21) and Myanmar (September 24) than against China, and given that the team will face the hosts without adequate rest and training. The head coach was forced to hold strategy sessions on the plane and at the airport.
It will remain to be seen whether Stimac will stick to what he has said or use Jhingan, as defenders Chinglensana and Lalchungnunga will not be available for Tuesday’s match. He is already faced with the problem of full-backs and central midfielders, as he complained on Sunday.
Even otherwise, China is a much stronger side than India on the continental stage, and they will also have the advantage of playing in a familiar environment at the Huanglong Sports Center Stadium. For India, on the other hand, their first outdoor activity could be the match.
The last time the two countries met at the Asian Games was in the 2002 edition in Busan, Korea, where India lost 0-2. The then Indian team consisted of Bhaichung Bhutia, Shanmugam Venkatesh, Jo Paul Ancheri, Renedy Singh and current assistant coach Mahesh Gawli.
Stimac was candid enough to admit that it would be a tough task for his side against China, especially given the unprecedented controversy surrounding the selection of the team, even after being exempted from the eligibility criteria to participate in the Games.
“They have been preparing this team for a long time. Since March this year, they have played four tough and quality matches against strong opponents, losing three and winning one,” said the Croatian.
“So it will be difficult because they (China) have invested a lot in this team, especially because they are hosting the Asian Games.” Speaking about the opponents team players, Stimac said: “Most of the time they (China) prefer a 4-4-2 system, which can occasionally change to a 3-4-3. They have three senior players who are very are important to them…
“One striker looks like a tower and scores a lot of goals in the Chinese Super League. There is also an attacking midfielder, a senior player with a lot of experience.” On the strategy he may adopt, Stimac said: “We have to be very smart and see whether we should invest all our energy (against China) or skip it to retain the next two games and try to reach the top.” knockout rounds.
“No tournament is a formality for me, nor for the players. There is a possibility to qualify from the group, but to do that there must also be some luck on our side, and the aim is for the boys to deliver the best performance.” of their lives.” The top two teams from the six groups will reach the round of 16, with the four best-ranked third-place teams also qualifying.
Thirteen players from the initial 22 were not released by their respective Indian Super League clubs, including Jhingan and first-choice goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Initially, a team of 17 members was named with Chhetri as the only notable face.
On Friday, after hectic talks with Jhingan, the AIFF announced a revised squad of 22 players, besides two more senior players in Chinglensana and Lalchungnunga.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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