Asian Games 2023: Sunil Chhetri stresses on team unity as India gear up for showdown with Saudi Arabia

Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri is gearing up for a challenging round of 16 match against Saudi Arabia at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China, on Thursday. Recognizing the hurdles India faces in their current campaign, Chhetri is aware of India's past struggles against Saudi Arabia but remains optimistic about the upcoming showdown. Chhetri stressed the importance of cohesion within the team, highlighting the need for his young teammates to continue playing as a unified unit, as they have in their previous three outings.

The Indian captain noted that the team has studied footage of Saudi Arabia's matches, acknowledging their quality and skillful players. "We were shown a lot of clips from the Saudi games by our coach, not only the ones that they played here but also a few of their matches from the recent past. He spoke about different ways in which we go out and apply ourselves. On the face value, they are a very good side with a lot of good, decent players, who are good with the ball...a lot of quality in and around the whole team," said the Indian captain.

Saudi Arabia, the fifth-largest country in Asia and ranked 57 in the FIFA ranking, has historically held the upper hand against India, having scored 18 goals in five matches while India could manage only two. In the quarterfinal matchup between the two teams in the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, Saudi Arabia prevailed by a score of one goal.

Despite India's mixed performance in Hangzhou, including a loss to China, a win against Bangladesh, and a draw with Myanmar, the team's meticulous strategies and collective dedication have earned them a spot in the round of 16. Chhetri emphasised that unity is a key element of their approach, with the coach stressing on the importance of avoiding one-on-one situations.

"And that is why the emphasis from the coach is very simple: we go in as a unit and avoid situations where they get one versus one; that's one of the major tactics," Chhetri continued.

"We saw a lot of clippings, a lot of formation, and different things that the coach wants to try. He also has one more day to see how the boys have recovered from three games in five days," Chhetri added.

Chhetri acknowledged the difficulty of playing three games in a short span but noted that the experience has been challenging yet fruitful. He expressed confidence in the young talents in the squad, highlighting their enthusiasm and determination to perform well for the nation.

"The experience has been a quite difficult one. But now that we have qualified (for the round of 16), it's also fruitful. But I must admit it, it wasn't easy the way it was and the things that we have to deal with as a team haven't been easy, but what's done is done and now we're just looking forward with all our focus and concentration on the Saudi game," the Indian captain added.

As India prepares for the highly anticipated match against Saudi Arabia, Sunil Chhetri and the team remain focused on their collective goal, hoping to secure a place in the tournament's later stages.

"There are many youngsters in the squad who probably did not have the taste of this kind of tournament atmosphere. And to be fair, it's quite evident, but what is also good is that everyone has given their best till now. I think a lot of us, especially the youngsters lacking in experience, are matching with our enthusiasm and the zeal to do well for the nation. And it's not easy, especially when you are a youngster, but all of them are first improving every day and second, wanting to give everything they have got," he concluded.