MARGAO: Former national coach Armando Colaco does not expect any overnight changes in Indian football in respect to the ongoing Hero Indian Super league.
“At the moment, I can’t say that ISL has come in and it will change Indian football and we are going to qualify for the World Cup. We have to see if ISL turns to be successful then it will be beneficial for Indian football,” Colaco told Herald.
“Leagues in other sports like IPL in cricket, the Indian Badminton League and the Hockey India League have helped in raising the profile of these games,” felt Colaco, the chief coach of East Bengal.
“We need more academies to promote football in India. We lack academies to train youngsters with basic techniques required for modern game. It’s pity that the basics are not properly taught at the grassroots level which makes it difficult for them when they grow and that’s why educating young coaches is also very important.”
He added that the speed of the game was a real problem for India.
“To some extent what we play is okay but the pace is not there. We are not good enough with strength and endurance and that is why we cannot play a fast paced game,” opined one of the country’s most successful coaches.
When asked India stands a chance to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, Colaco said, “I do not want anyone to misunderstand me when I say that we have to go a long way to qualify for the World Cup. We have to work hard on planning. Think for the next 10 years, as we are ranked 158 in the FIFA standings.
Colaco concluded on I-League saying, “I am confident that East Bengal will give tough fight. We have a good chance to win the title and we have selected players carefully.”
