PANAJI: Indian football is on the upswing with the national team winning a record three trophies in the last four months and remaining unbeaten in 2023. Captain Sunil Chhetri has led by example on the field, while India are not short of leaders on the sidelines.
When head coach Igor Stimac was suspended on two occasions during the SAFF Championship, including the final in Bengaluru, his assistant Mahesh Gawli stepped up and filled the void.
“It was a great feeling,” Gawli, a former India defender, told TOI on Thursday. “It was the first time with the senior team.
There was a lot of pressure since we needed results. However, I enjoyed my role and the pressure.”
One of the best defenders of his generation who won everything on offer in Indian football, Gawli had the first taste of guiding the national team on the sidelines in the opening SAFF Championship clash against Pakistan when Stimac was sent off at the end of the first half.
While India triumphed 4-0 after Chhetri’s fine hattrick, Gawli was focused on the next game, a clash against Nepal which India eventually won 2-0.
“He (Stimac) was there behind me all the time. He used to tell me what to do and what not to do. His guidance was always there,” said the 43-year-old Goan coach.
The country is celebrating India’s impressive performances and the unbeaten run for more than half of 2023, but the real test will be at the Asian Cup early next year where the team will be up against Australia, Uzbekistan and Syria at the group stage.
Gawli, though, remains optimistic and has been left in no doubt that the national football team is on the right track.
(AI image)
