Sahal Abdul Samad, who has drawn inspiration from Sunil Chhetri since day one, is ready to give more than 100 per cent against Kuwait to make it a memorable farewell for the legend.
“We will fight for him, as we always do. If he is ready to give his 100 per cent, why not us? We will give more than that to win this game for him,” said the midfielder. India face Kuwait in a crucial World Cup qualifier in Kolkata on June 6. A win will guarantee India a place in the next round of qualifiers.
“From Day 1, he has been my inspiration. It’s been great to play with him and share the dressing room with him,” added Sahal.
Recalling his best memory with Chhetri, Sahal said, “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.’ That still resonates in my ears.”
Speaking on Chhetri’s replacement, Sahal said the next generation is ready. “I don’t know about the future, but what I know is the young generation is ready to step up.”
Sahal is considered one of the attacking mainstays of the Indian team. He missed the first two games in the AFC Asian Cup as he was recuperating from injury. He came on as a substitute in the next game but missed the following two games against Afghanistan due to injury.
Fortunately, Sahal is back in the mix, fully recovered, and he can’t wait to be back in action against Kuwait. “I am very excited to be back, fully fit, and can’t wait to play in front of the fans. It’s always an honour to play for the national team.”
The Indian team underwent a month-long training camp before the Kuwait game. They started their preparatory camp in Bhubaneswar before shifting base to Kolkata. Sahal believes that they can once again reap the benefits of having a long camp.
“The more time we have for preparation, the better we perform. It’s always been like that. Last year we were together for so long and we reaped the benefits in the Intercontinental Cup and SAFF Cup. This time also, we had a good camp. The understanding between the players was amazing.”
Sahal had mixed results last month at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), where India will play against Kuwait. Sahal won the ISL Shield with Mohun Bagan, but failed to defend the ISL Trophy. This time, in another high-stakes game for the national team, Sahal wants to give his best to get the three points and make it memorable for Chhetri.