Asian Cup qualifier: Is it time for tweaks to Khalid Jamil’s style?

India's football team, under coach Khalid Jamil, faces a crucial match against Singapore to keep Asian Cup hopes alive amid tactical adjustments.

Margao: “Are you here for football?” If the answer is yes, conversation becomes as easy as finding the sea, sand and shacks from where you can savour both. A Panaji resident since 2022, the co-traveller on Sunday’s Kolkata-Goa afternoon flight said she had booked tickets for FC Goa’s home match against Al-Nassr on October 22 “in the hope Cristiano Ronaldo will travel.” The staff at the front desk first inquired whether he would and then grumbled about ticket prices for the Asian Champions League 2 tie.

The Indian football team members at training on Sunday, two days ahead of their Asian Cup qualifying group match against Singapore at Margao. (AIFF Photo)

India barely staying alive in an Asian Cup qualifying group where they are the top seeds also came up and, though this is no indication of the temperature for Tuesday’s tie, the message at the hotel near the stadium in Fatorda was: we will be there.

Khalid Jamil will hope for more of this ahead of the most crucial match of his fledgling career as India head coach. In a group so closely matched that it needed a 90+11 minute winner for Hong Kong to cancel Bangladesh’s equaliser in 90+9 and go top in group C on seven points, India need to beat Singapore here to keep the heat on. Hopes of an unprecedented third successive finals berth will end if India, on two points from three matches, don’t and Hong Kong do, at home to Bangladesh also on Tuesday.

Will that lead to Jamil tweaking his style? Like Jamil’s Jamshedpur FC did for most of the 2024-25 Indian Super League (ISL), India have shown they can graft and grit through matches. It worked against Tajikistan and Oman, both ranked higher than India, in the CAFA Nations Cup and fetched a bronze.

But it didn’t fetch a win against Afghanistan, who at 161 were 28 places below India in the FIFA rankings, in the same tournament. Not against Singapore either, India escaping with a 1-1 draw after Rahim Ali’s 90th minute goal.

“We need to create more opportunities from open play,” Bhaichung Bhutia told HT from Gangtok. “Except for the last goal which came after a mistake from Singapore that has not happened under Khalid.” All three field goals in CAFA Nations Cup came from long throws.

Jamil adding Lalengmawia “Apuia” Ralte and Subhasish Bose to the squad is significant. He will have three training sessions to explain what he wants from the experienced Mohun Bagan Super Giant duo. Singapore targeted left-back Muhammed Uvais. Will Jamil stick to Uvais or risk Bose who has had one start this term after a groin injury in April?

Having packed the squad with ball-winning midfielders and using two against Singapore meant India planned to rely on crosses and second balls to attack. It didn’t work and now Jamil could pair one of them with Ralte, India’s best all-round midfielder last season.

Liston Colaco has not looked sharp. Will Jamil switch Lallianzuala Chhangte to the left and give Udanta Singh, whose goal against Oman took the third place play-off to penalties, a start as wide right at his home ground? It would be a first under Jamil for the 29-year-old who has played 53 times for India.

Not using Brandon Fernandes and Mahesh Naorem in Singapore and bringing Sahal Abdul Samad on in the 69th minute contributed to Sunil Chhetri being severely starved of supply. Choosing one of three creative options behind the striker could reduce the telling lack of efficiency in the front third.

This is tricky territory for Jamil. Change too much and it could get confusing for players just getting to know him. Stick to his way and India could risk elimination. By starting Naorem against Afghanistan, changing Chinglensana Singh 14 minutes after introducing him against Iran because the midfield had been compromised, and calling Ralte, Jamil has shown he can be flexible. To what extent could determine how India fare in this campaign.