Watch: Fans ask for Igor Stimac to be sacked after shock loss to Afghanistan

Indian football hit a new low with a depressing 1-2 defeat to Afghanistan in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in Guwahati on Tuesday, the result highlighting the sport’s mess in the country. Fans made their frustration with manager Igor Stimac clear during and after the match. Many chanted against him and sought his resignation or removal. After the game, many fans stayed behind and targeted the All India Football Federation (AIFF) administrators for the hapless state of the game.

Entering the home leg match as the favourites, the 117-ranked India took the lead in the 37th minute, when talisman Sunil Chhetri struck his 94th international goal in his landmark 150th match.

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However, Afghanistan hit back in the second half with goals from Rahmat Akbari (71’) and Sharif Mukhammad (88’), leaving the packed Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium heartbroken after yet another failure.

Fans are chanting "f**k off Stimac" and "Stimac out" as India-Afghanistan is levelled 1-1 pic.twitter.com/qnw43ax4Zo

— Ujwal (@UjwalKS) March 26, 2024

This is the latest in many lows for the Indian football team in recent past. Standout among the many was the embarrassing defeat to tiny pacific nation Guam in 2015 in a 2018 World Cup Qualifier.

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The message is loud and clear from the fans#INDAFG @sportstarweb pic.twitter.com/cifmnSdYnG

— Aashin Prasad (@aashin23) March 26, 2024

But considering Indian football’s growth in stature, the current defeat hits hard and needs introspection. Those running the game refuse to learn from mistakes and if Tuesday’s defeat is any indication, they have not taken the corrective measures required to lift the sport from the abyss it slipped into following prolonged period of inconsistency and indifferent results.

'AIFF Chor Hain' (AIFF are thief) chants by Indian Football fans #IndianFootballpic.twitter.com/9sgvptTKNd

— Hari (@Harii33) March 26, 2024

Often, it appears as if only Chhetri is turning up for a game and his teammates relying completely on his goal-scoring prowess to see the team through.

There is no new striker on the horizon with an ability and the game to succeed Chhetri, who will turn 40 on August 3.

Who after Chhetri? It is a question that has been haunting Indian football for a while.

According to head coach Igor Stimac, the lack of longer preparatory camps is one of the factors responsible for the national team’s failure to deliver in big tournaments, and the Croatian World Cup semifinalist has often been at loggerheads with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) owing to his inclination to express strong views on a public platform.

0-3 Qatar ❌
0-2 Australia ❌
0-3 Uzbekistan ❌
0-1 Syria ❌
0-0 Afghanistan 🤝
1-2 Afghanistan ❌

0 Wins and 5 defeats in last 6 matches for the senior men's NT. 💔

Is coach Igor Stimac getting the sack now? pic.twitter.com/WYL4ejKA42

— 90ndstoppage (@90ndstoppage) March 26, 2024

On the eve of the match, Stimac had said he would resign from the post if he failed to take India to the third round of the Word Cup Qualifiers, something the country has never achieved.

If the problems on the field are not enough, the sport is also marred by issues off it with AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey being accused of siphoning off money from the federation’s exchequer and using parent body’s funds for personal expenses by its former principal legal advisor Nilanjan Bhattacharjee, who had been terminated from his services.

The results notwithstanding, the AIFF bosses are not ready to admit that all’s not well in Indian football.

(with inputs from PTI)