Possible FIFA ban, future of coach Igor Stimac and over-reliance on Sunil Chhetri

The news was confirmed when the Philippines lost 0-4 to Palestine in a Group B match on Tuesday. It comes as a shock because India has never managed to qualify for back-to-back tournaments in the history of the AFC Asian Cup. It will mark their fifth appearance in Asia’s biggest continental competition. 

However, in the World Cup qualifiers, which also worked as the Asian Cup qualifiers, India came third in their group with just one win, four draws, and three defeats against lower-ranked teams. India coach Igor Stimac blamed the poor results upon India not employing overseas players, unlike Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Although they lack better players, India fought against a physically stronger Afghanistan. The fact that India scored its last two goals within five minutes of full-time, the new style of play, and efforts to be the better team on the pitch was a positive change.

Will India be allowed to play? 

Although qualification has been confirmed, it is not decided whether India will be allowed to play in the Asian Cup. The football administration in the country led by a Supreme Court of India-ordered Committee of Administrators (CoA) thrives on shaky ground. A four-member committee of FIFA and AFC officials will visit India and decide whether a country ban is required based on the visit and meetings. 

The CoA declared that the process of finalising the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) constitution abiding by FIFA laws alongside the National Sports Code must wrap up by July 15. According to CoA member Dr S Y Quraishi, the entire process of elections and results should be finished by September. If India is allowed to compete in the AFC Asian Cup, another issue is the venue of the matches. Since China refused to volunteer due to the rising cases of Covid-19, no one has taken the initiative to host it. A delay seems to be on the cards. 

Will coach Stimac be retained? 

The AIFF will make a decision with regard to Stimac, whose contract expires in September 2022. Stimac is repeatedly blamed for India's defensive gameplay and poor performances. However, the qualification might change things for him. In addition, India's over-reliance on Sunil Chhetri for goals might be disadvantageous if the Asian Cup is pushed to January 2024. He will be 38 years old by next year which might be a cause of concern although he has been consistent in form. Despite these gruelling concerns, India deserves some credit for running the Asian Cup campaign successfully.