Jump in Fifa rankings a big boost, says Baichung Bhutia

Former captain Baichung Bhutia said the Indian football team’s quantum leap in Fifa rankings could help change perception in a country deprived of major success for long.

He added the task now will be to build on it, hours after the team achieved their best-ever ranking (101) in over two decades.

“Ranking plays a big role in people’s mindset in India. Here the perception of ranking is very very high. Everyone only talks about ranking, hopefully they will now take pride in this achievement,” Bhutia said.

During Stephen Constantine’s ongoing second stint, Sunil Chhetri and Co. have had 11 wins in 13 matches, including an unofficial match against Bhutan, while scoring a total of 31 goals.

Bhutia praised the Englishman who was brought back in 2015 when the former captain was the AIFF technical committee chairman, as India jumped from 171 to 101.

As per the coach’s road map, qualifying for the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup 2019 in the UAE is the next target.

India recently defeated Myanmar in the Asian Cup qualifiers, their first victory in the neighbouring nation in over 64 years. Macau are the other side in India’s group.

Two teams qualify from six groups to join the already qualified 12 teams in Asia’s highest continental meet where India last made the cut in 2011.

“Personally, it’s really satisfying as when I joined the technical committee it was 167-171 and now it’s 101. It’s really a proud moment for all of us. We have to continue building on this. To maintain the ranking is more difficult.”

Terming it team work, Bhutia said: “A big congratulations to Constantine and his team. At the same time the Federation played a big role in organising friendlies and playing the right kind of matches to ensure that the team is benefited. Every plan was put in place. It was complete team work.” India’s highest ever ranking of 94th achieved in February 1996, followed by 99 in November 1993 and 100 in October 1993, December 1993 and April 1996.

‘We shouldn’t get carried away by rankings’
Start striker Chhetri was happy about the ranking but did not want to get carried away as the hard work begins now.

“In my opinion, rankings are a very fickle measurement of one’s success and it is best to not get carried away by it. You lose one game, you slide down 40 places, you win one, and you climb up 50. The real achievement will be when we cling on to this position or better it over the next three to four years,” Chhetri said.

“But while we should celebrate every success, big or small, we also need to realize that the real test begins now,” he said.

India’s highest ever goalscorer said that improvement could only be measured against better opponents.