This is a pretty old article, but I think it's interesting, as it shows how totally clueless Indian football is.
India better than what FIFA ranking shows: Coach Houghton
Mr. Houghton says:
"FIFA rankings are based on the performances of a team over a year. We don't play enough games in a year."
Obviously, that's wrong, as the FIFA ranking takes into account matches played in the last 4 years.
And here's the real gem:
If India could do well in the 2011 Asia Cup -- India qualified by winning the AFC Challenge Cup last year -- and enter the World Cup qualifiers as a seeded team, it would immensely benefit the team, he added.
"The next year-and-a-half is going to be very important for India. If we can perform well in the Asia Cup and become a seeded team for the World Cup qualifiers, then it would mean a first round bye and facing weaker teams, while now since we are unseeded we end up playing more matches and get drawn with tougher opponents," he said.
This next year-and-a-half will be in vain, as AFC have already announced the seeding for the the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. India's 2011 Asian Cup performance won't affect the World Cup seeding, only the 2015 Asian Cup seeding.
just a clueless coach !
ReplyDeleteU r right. But he himself once said that india can target for 2018 world cup. The intention is clear.india needs to play more matches and perform well in the coming years so that we can get better seeding in the major tournaments.
ReplyDeleteWhich world cup is a question??Even an average indian football fan wont believe that india will qualify for the WC in next 10 years ... lets hope the best
http://theindianfootball.blogspot.com
Performing well at the Nehru Cup/SAFF Cup or in friendly games won't improve your seeding for the World Cup/Asian Nations Cup.
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