Eleven matches. Six defeats and five draws. Four goals scored and 15 conceded. As far as results are concerned, 2024 was arguably the worst year ever for the Indian men’s football team. It was a year that started with hopes of a strong campaign at the AFC Asian Cup. However, with some disastrous results and the controversial departure of head coach Igor Stimac, it was anything but an easy journey. Manolo Marquez taking over the reins midway but he had a tough task with the team missing their talisman Sunil Chhetri who bid farewell to the game after an illustrious career. The final half of the year saw some new faces make their presence felt for the side but sadly, the team still ended the year without a single victory.
The AFC Asian Cup campaign saw India facing tough opponents in Australia, Syria and Uzbekistan. India were unable to score even a single goal in the entire competition with just five shots on target in the three group stage matches. They were out of the group stages after conceding six goals.
It was the beginning of India’s misery as they slumped to a shocking 1-2 loss against Afghanistan at home in a FIFA World Cup qualifier match. Chhetri did find the back of the net but they were made to suffer for their missed chances as both experts and fans were left stunned by the result.
A draw against Kuwait gave some hope for qualification to the third round of World Cup qualifiers but the dreams were shattered following a controversial 1-2 loss against Qatar. The game saw India produce some good football but a horrible error by the referee spelt the end of their chances of advancing.
Following the loss against Qatar, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) decided to terminate Igor Stimac’s contract as the head coach. However, controversy ensued once again as Stimac was left fuming by the decision and he launched a scathing attack on AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey. There were allegations made on both side and it ended with a $400,000 (approximately Rs 3.36 crore) compensation for Stimac as his contract was ended early by the AIFF due to the disappointing results.
Manolo Marquez was appointed the head coach of the side and he had the tough job of reconstructing a side low on confidence and missing their star striker. Chhetri announced that he will play his final game against Kuwait and his emotional farewell left a huge gap in the Indian attack. The national side has been struggling to find a proper replacement for Chhetri and his departure left Marquez in a spot of bother.
The four matches under Marquez saw in-form players making the cut and the team leaning a lot on making use of the wingers in attack. Marquez’s first assignment was the Intercontinental Cup where they drew their first match against Maldives but were defeated 0-3 by Syria in the following match.
While the football on display was quite attractive due to the focus on midfield and more sharpness in set-pieces, the lack of goals was quite evident. The last two matches of the year saw India playing out draws against Vietnam and Malaysia with the team scoring just twice in the two matches. There were as many as four strikers used in those two matches but they did not come close to replicating Chhetri’s prowess.
While India have not won a single game under Marquez’s coaching yet, they have been successful in drawing three of the four matches. The fast-paced attacking football has already found a few admirers among the fans but it is still a long road ahead for the side. The first challenge of 2025 for the side will be to register their first win in over a year and finally attempt to solve the striker conundrum. However, it is a new era under Manolo Marquez and for the time being, it does come with new hope for the national side.
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