Asian Cup 2023 qualification is more difficult now !

While we were waiting for the draw to happen this month itself but there is another shocking news.

Now, AFC has decided to make the 3rd round Asian Cup qualifiers, a single-legged affair on a centralized venue.

This is very complicated for everyone involved. Every fixture is a do or dies now, every point lost will thin further, the chances of qualifying for the big tournament.

It will now be played in June, next year and the draw will happen according to the latest rankings in February 2022. 

This is making the whole process problematic for us as due to our league structure and its scheduling, we are unlikely to use any international window till the end of the season in march 2022.

It will jeopardize our chances to remain in the pot 1, as other teams may get ahead of us. This can only be reduced by playing in February window to gain enough points to stay afloat.

Fifa rankings are important in this aspect as the draw will happen on  the basis of that, with teams closer to us in the rankings will try their best to be in the pot 1 so to stay away from facing stronger teams like Uzbekistan !

We need to do better in that sense to assertion ourselves in the pot 1.

With AFC club competitions will take place after that, at least 3 clubs will be involved thus also reducing the availability of the players for matches in that phase until May.

With June bringing the ultimate test, we need to make sure things go well planned, otherwise, we may have bid goodbye to the year 2023 in advance.

This brings the football federation and other institutions involved to maximize the positives we can take forward in that qualifiers.

This involves the clubs too, which may have to choose wisely and probably have to make some sacrifices.

As continental competitions will be there, the availability of the key players will depend a lot on them.

Also bidding for the venue for the Asian Cup qualifiers help us to climatize our players better.

When it's "home" everything becomes better.

The league organizers will have to shed a few rules too, to make us better prepared for the qualification process.

It involves the rules regarding quarantine, if we manage to play a few international games during the international window, we can analyze our game and choose players which we need further.

It will be a necessary step, as only 3 matches will decide the fate of our next generation of Indian football.

Qualifying for the Asian Cup is always a dream and everyone wishes for that, headlines will be written based on that.

Media coverage is a necessary thing when it comes to the popularization of anything, the game of football needs that in the context of India.

Also, it will help us move on to other targets, like going to the next round of FIFA world cup qualifiers, as it will guarantee us direct Asian Cup qualification and games with stronger teams to get us a much-needed boost.

       

Now, if we see the qualification process with new guidelines from the AFC, a team can get a maximum of 9 points, will top the table, with the second-placed team with 6 points.

But if a draw happens in any of the matches, it can be 7 points each for the top 2, now goal difference will play a huge role.

Also with 2 draws, things will get further complicated.

The qualification is itself tricky as one team from the qualification process will be out from the Asian Cup reach.

Only 11 spots to confirm, top 6 and 5 second best-placed teams.

The competition is very high, a point gained is a lifeline here, a lost point will act as a poison. This can be said that 3rd round qualifiers in themselves will embark the death game, with every team is fighting for survival.

Weaker teams will fancy their chances further as one win or a draw will bring them to the same table.

Indian teams have struggled on most of the occasions to put forward a winning run against the lower-ranked teams, it embarks another stiff test for the team which depends a lot on Sunil Chhetri to survive.

With coaching staff pushing for the results is always under pressure due to the under performances of the past.

Thus the new qualification set-up makes them worry more, even every fan is of the view that "it's now or never".

Federation, FSDL, clubs have to work together to make the dream come true otherwise it may potentially embark on the journey of the lost generation of Indian football.

FIFA may term us then, "forever sleeping giant of football".

Though, as we Indians are mostly positive, and let's go by that, we have a good team on days where we perform to our best.

We certainly have to make it a habit and with that, we qualify for the Asian Cup, which is big and a thing to be proud of.

Let's hope that we will do qualify for the Asian Cup in flying colors, otherwise, highlights from the year 2019 will put salt on our wounds, which is painful to imagine and experience.