Football
Sahal Abdul Samad promises '100% effort' for skipper Sunil Chhetri
Midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad believes that the team will give their 100 percent in the final game of skipper Chhetri.
Sahal Abdul Samad in action against Mongolia in the Hero Intercontinental Cup 2023. (Source: Indian Football/ Twitter)
Indian midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad is confident that the Indian team will give more than 100 percent in the farewell game of skipper Sunil Chhetri on Thursday.
A win against Kuwait in their penultimate round will also give them a shot at finishing in the top two in the group and advancing to the third round of the World Cup qualifiers for the first time.
Currently training at the National Centre of Excellence in Kolkata, the Indian team is ready to take on Kuwait.
"We are looking forward to the game. We have that feeling we will fight for him like we always do. He's also ready to give his 100 percent and why not us? We will also give our more than 100 percent," Sahal told the media on the sidelines of their training session.
The match will mark the end of a glittering 19-year-old international career of India's football torchbearer Chhetri who, with 94 goals from 150 matches, is the third leading active goalscorer behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
"From day one, he (Chhetri) has been my inspiration. It's been great to play with him and share the dressing room with him," said the 31-year-old.
"On my first day with the national team, he put his hand on my back and said, 'This is a jersey everyone desires to wear'. I still vividly remember and cherish the moment," he recalled.
Asked about Chhetri's replacement, Sahal said: "I don't know about the future, but what I know is the young generation is ready to step up."
Having started off their Group A campaign by beating Kuwait 1-0 in an away fixture, India's performance dipped as they lost 0-3 to heavyweights Qatar and a shock defeat against lowly Afghanistan.
They then went on to suffer a draw and a loss against the lowly Afghanistan to complicate their qualification hopes.
India will end their Group A campaign, taking on Qatar in an away match on June 11 and if they finish in the top-10, they will square off against the best in Asia over the course of a year in 10 matches.
They will also secure direct entry into the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.
