In the second decade of the 21st century, a new and intense rivalry has developed in South Asian football. India’s hegemony in this region is being seriously challenged by Afghanistan. On Sunday, it will be the third straight final between India and Afghanistan in the 10th South Asian Football Federation Cup. In 2011, India had triumphed 4-0 in Delhi but two years later in Kathmandu, Afghanistan prevailed 2-0.
The Lions of Khorasan are formidable in attack with 16 goals in just four games. Striker Khaibar Amani is tournament’s top scorer with five goals so far. They have trounced former champions Bangladesh 4-0 and the Maldives 4-1 in their league matches. So India’s back four Pritam Kotal, Arnab Mondal, Augustine Fernandez and Narayan Das will be severely tested in the crucial final of the SAFF Cup on Sunday.
The outcome of the match will hinge on how well India can curb Afghanistan’s menacing attack.
In attack, despite the absence of an injured Robin Singh, India are also lethal. They have scored nine goals in three matches. Sunil Chhetri finished as India’s top-scorer in 2015 with six goals. In the final his role is vital. He has to use his years of experience to ensure that the relatively inexperienced Indian players like midfielders Rowlin Borges, Bikash Jairu and forwards Halicharan Narzary or the 18 year-old Lallianzuala Chhangte remain focused and do not commit unforced errors. In a grudge match like this final, the team with a better temperament can prevail.
If India win, it will be striker Jeje Lalpekhlua’s third SAFF Cup crown. He was a member of the victorious Indian squad in 2009 and 2011. Baichung Bhutia is the only player till now to have won this title thrice in 1997 (Kathmandu), 1999 (Goa) and 2005 (Karachi). A triumph will be a vindication of Stephen Constantine’s policy of creating a new-look team, based on youth, commitment and constant mobility.
From the squad which lost to Afghanistan in 2013, only five players Chhetri, Jeje, Robin, Arnab Mondal and Subrata Paul are remaining. It will also be the coming of age of Narzary, Kotal and Narayan Dass whose talent was nurtured by the now abandoned Pailan Arrows.
The Afghan Diaspora has developed football in their country. In the 1980s and 90s, many families fled war-torn Afghanistan and took refuge in Europe and USA. The children of this generation grew up in European cities where professional football clubs and age-group training facilities are in abundance.
So in their formative years many got fascinated by football like their 24-year-old captain Faysal Shayesteh whose family stays in the Netherlands. He was trained by the FC Twente Academy and later played for SC Heerenveen’s second team and FC Etar (Bulgaria). He now plays for Songkhla United in Thailand’s first division.
The migrant Afghan footballers realised that they would be unable to play for European countries in which they have settled as the competition is intense. So they opted for the country of their birth, thus rapidly improving Afghanistan’s football standards.
