Indian ISL players will be released for WC qualifiers

According to sources, the coaches of the ISL teams were eager to release the national players but the organisers were adamant that the players went directly to play the matches. A senior AIFF official said, “We are helpless”.

The Englishman expressed his unhappiness to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Monday after the national camp ahead of the 2018 World Cup/2019 Asian Cup joint qualifier against Turkmenistan, scheduled to be held from September 29, had to be called off after the ISL clubs refused to release the national team players. “All of them will be released four days – inclusive of the match day – prior to the first match”, Das said in a statement.

It must be noted that a year ago, too, the national team did not play any worldwide friendly during the ISL. National team coach Stephen Constantine and technical director Scott O’Donnell were also in attendance.

Stephen Constantine was the object of Praful Patel’s incisive comments at the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) Executive Committee Meeting on Monday. The second edition of the ISL begins on October 3 in Chennai.

With the ISL starting, the national team will continue to remain in the shadows only highlighting the plight of the sport in India.

As a effect, India will travel to Turkmenistan (October 8) and Oman (October 13) for their games without having a camp.

Besides, AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das, Vice Presidents Subrata Dutta, Larsing Ming, KMI Mather and Subhash Chopra; Treasurer ZA Thakur, and all other Members, except Shrinivas Dempo (Vice President), Sunil Bharadwaj, Jesiah Villavarayar and CDR Com.

“The coach (Constantine) insisted on playing the home tie in Bengaluru”.

After the loss to Iran in Bangalore earlier this month, when TOI asked Constantine whether he would get the basic minimum time required for the senior team to assemble before proceeding for the away games, and how would he cope with the games slotted in the middle of the ISL season, the coach threw up his hands, saying this was a matter beyond his control.

One doesn’t need an expert to predict the impending disaster in Turkmenistan. Iran, Oman and Guam take the top three places respectively, separated only by goal difference.

It was decided that the Second Division League would be played in the conference format. Pity, a national team ends up as collateral damage.