The second round of Football World Cup qualifier will be a make or break chance for Indian Football players. It will start from June 11 onwards, India are set to take on Oman in their very first clash. India already cleared the first round with an emphatic 2-0 win over Nepal a couple of months back. Historically, this is the first time that India moved into a second round of Football World Cup qualifier in the last 3 decades.
Can India make it to the FIFA World Cup 2018?
Chronologically speaking, India had never qualified for the Football World Cup except in 1950, when the rest of the Asian nations opted out of the tournament due to their difference with FIFA. But AIFF (All India Football Federation) failed to exploit that opportunity too as India didn’t participate in the event due to constraint of money, practice time, etc.
The nation is now ready to make it big in the upcoming FIFA World Cup to be played in Russia in 2018. However, it is still too early to think about the same unless India win the second stage of the qualifying round. The successful launch of the ISL (Indian Super League) last year ignited the spirit of football all across the nation. The football fever brought the whole nation on a single platter at that time.
The Great Indian FIFA Dream
Sandesh Jhingan, the 21-year-old football player, is very optimistic about India’s prospect in the gala event of 2018 Football World Cup. “The task is not a piece of cake, but I think we will qualify,” he recently stated to the media when asked about the nation’s chance of playing the prestigious tournament. Jhingan was recently selected to the national squad after his phenomenal performance in the U – 19 Football team.
India is currently ranked 147 at the latest FIFA rankings. Yet, there is a sense of optimism and exuberance among Indian players and fans. They will set their feet on the ground with a positive hope and spirit. The team is currently on the right path towards its goal thanks to hard working head coach (Manager) – Stephen Constantine.
The 52-year-old has a vast experience in football administration and is known for his immaculate strategy on the field. This is his second stint as manager of India’s national football squad. He has also managed several other teams, including Nepal, Sudan, Malawi, Rwanda and others.
The selection of a lot of in-form players in the national squad is the result of his meticulous managerial skills. If India gets qualified for 2018 football world cup, then Constantine deserves a lot of adulation and applause too.
Tags: AIFF, All India Football Federation, FIFA World Cup, FIFA World Cup 2018, India, Indian Football, Stephen Constantine
