India’s national football team is significantly progressing, says centre-back Sandesh Jhingan

Bhubaneswar: India's impressive journey in the Intercontinental Cup football tournament has led them to the final, having maintained an undefeated record throughout. A major contributing factor to their success lies in the remarkable efforts of Sandesh Jhingan, the team's centre-back and former player of Kerala Blasters. Jhingan sheds light on the triumph and shares his thoughts on the future of the Indian team.

The Secret to Defensive Resilience

As a centre-back, it is a tremendous achievement for the team to have not conceded a single goal in the past seven matches. This accomplishment brings us immense satisfaction in the work we put in. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that this success is not solely attributed to me. Football is a team sport where both scoring and defending are equally important. The credit also goes to our strikers, who rose to the occasion and found the back of the net. It is not enough to only prevent goals; we must also provide our strikers with opportunities. Therefore, this achievement is a result of united team effort, and everyone deserves commendation. The team's performance is steadily improving, and I am hopeful that it will continue to progress leading up to the Asia Cup.

Goals Are Not the Sole Focus

The significance of victory does not solely depend on the number of goals we score. Sometimes winning by a single goal brings immense joy, while winning by a significant margin may not necessarily guarantee more happiness. However, I believe we could have netted a few more goals. In the Intercontinental Cup, each team performs up to their rankings, and no team can be underestimated. Every team possesses their own style, like the physically dominant Vanuatu.

We aimed to swiftly move the ball, avoiding exposing our weaknesses to their strengths. In every game, we executed our plan flawlessly. These competitions provide us with valuable insights into areas where we need to improve our preparation.

Progress in Rankings

When I made my debut, the Indian team was ranked around 174 in the world. Now, we are close to reaching the top 100. This is a significant leap forward. Defeating 75 teams in world football is an impressive accomplishment. However, there is still much room for improvement, and acknowledging this is a crucial step towards progress. Coach Igor Stimac plays a pivotal role in our achievements thus far.

Embracing Any Role

A centre-back cannot single-handedly control a game; he always relies on the support of his teammates. I enjoy playing alongside and adapting to different players on the field. While I may have my flaws, I find immense pleasure in the game. I have also previously enjoyed playing as a wing-back. For the national team, I am willing to take on any role that is required of me.