Home United coach PN Sivaji has expressed his respect over the rise in stature of Indian football, ahead of his team’s upcoming AFC Cup quarterfinal clash with Dempo SC.
The match on Tuesday evening will see the Protectors take on a side that has occupied a forefront spot in the subcontinent’s football scene, against a backdrop of significant development and growth in the sport in recent times.
With a history dating as far back as the 1950s, Dempo have been a longtime footballing force in the western state of Goa, winning the regional championship no fewer than eleven times.
Success at a higher level had previously proven more elusive, but three national league titles in the last four years have helped the club, bankrolled by iron tycoon Srinivas Dempo, break the dominance of traditional giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.
On the continental front, Dempo had previously featured twice in the AFC Cup, bowing out in the group stage in 2005 and 2006.
This year, they have broken new ground, reaching the tournament’s quarterfinals after finishing second in Group A, ahead of Lebanon’s Al Ansar and Omani side Sur.
These achievements have prompted Sivaji to warn against taking the Indian side lightly.
“Dempo come into this competition carrying a lot of clout,” he told sleague.com.
“India has gone through some redevelopment in their league football for the last couple of years, and there is more money put into the league. As champions of this league, they are a credible side.
“Any team that makes it into the quarterfinals must obviously be given more than just mere attention. But the fact that they had played against some Middle East teams and got past them to reach this stage shows their quality.”
Dempo breaking into the quarterfinals after two previous failed attempts mirrors a rise in fortunes for the Indian national team, which won the AFC Challenge Cup in August.
Overcoming opponents such as Tajikistan and Myanmar to claim the title has led to an upsurge in football interest in India, and it was no exception for the Whites.
Midfielders Clifford Miranda and Climax Lawrence are regular features in the India squad, as are defenders Samir Subash Naik and Mahesh Gawli.
All four will be keen to translate their national team form into positive performances for their club when they face Home, as Sivaji predicted a rub-off effect for Dempo’s other local boys, who in the past had found themselves overshadowed by foreign imports.
“When the national team achieves certain results, like winning the AFC Challenge Cup, it shows their football is on the up,” he reasoned.
“This success normally spreads around the local footballing fraternity. I’m sure the players there want to build on it and try to achieve something at the international level.
“Also, this will give India’s local players more attention from their local media and fans. They will strive to step up their game and prove that they are good players.
“Indian teams have not made it this far into the main AFC competitions over so many years, but now that they have, it shows they have improved. Dempo reaching the last eight can be seen as a marker that they have arrived, and they will be serious contenders.”
Despite his admiration of India’s achievements, Sivaji remains determined to lead his team into the last four, something no Singaporean side has done for the last three years.
Home and Geylang United had reached the semifinals in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2004, but since then, the Protectors, Tampines Rovers and SAFFC have all failed to get past the quarterfinals.
While the perceived gap in standards with Gulf clubs has been commonly cited as a primary reason for the Singaporean sides’ early exits, the lack of adequate rest time has also been identified as a contributory factor.
Sivaji believes, however, that a crammed fixture schedule cannot count as an excuse should the two-time S.League champions fall this time.
“Over the last two or three years, we have not made it into the semifinals because our teams could not cope with the congested fixtures we have in that period,” he said.
“But to give credit to the S.League, especially the Competitions Division, I think we have learnt from the last few seasons that we need some breaks, especially in the more difficult phases of the tournament. They have arranged that very well for SAFFC and us this time.
“In our case, we’ve had three or four days of rest here before we leave, and we’ll have another two or three days there to properly prepare. And we don’t have the pressure of rushing into any games when we come back, which was not the case before.
“In that sense, the S.League administrators have done their part. Now it’s up to us to show that we can go as far as we want to go.”
Apart from being able to enjoy more rest due to the fixture arrangements, Home can also count on a diminished home advantage for Dempo due to an AFC-decreed changed in match venue.
Lighting issues means the club cannot stick to using the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa as they did in the group stage, and must play in Hyderabad’s Gachibowli Stadium instead.
Sivaji noted that having the game at India’s technology capital would be better for his side due to various reasons, including being able to fly there on Singapore Airlines.
Nonetheless, he was certain the players can still expect to face a sizeable turnout in the 30,000-seater.
“If we had to fly to Goa, we would have to change flights midway at Calcutta or Mumbai, which means more flight time and a longer journey and is not ideal for us,” explained the 56-year-old.
“Hyderabad is a direct flight away, and we can go up there on our trusted SQ, so we know we will have a good journey. And the timing of the flight is good; we leave on a Saturday evening and we get there at about 11pm local time, so we can rest once we land.
“For Dempo, they would not enjoy the advantage they normally have for a game in Goa. Over there, they can get a big, vociferous crowd, which gives a good atmosphere.
“But India is a country where the people take a big interest in sports in general, including football. So even in Hyderabad, we can still expect a good crowd.”
The match on Tuesday evening will see the Protectors take on a side that has occupied a forefront spot in the subcontinent’s football scene, against a backdrop of significant development and growth in the sport in recent times.
With a history dating as far back as the 1950s, Dempo have been a longtime footballing force in the western state of Goa, winning the regional championship no fewer than eleven times.
Success at a higher level had previously proven more elusive, but three national league titles in the last four years have helped the club, bankrolled by iron tycoon Srinivas Dempo, break the dominance of traditional giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.
On the continental front, Dempo had previously featured twice in the AFC Cup, bowing out in the group stage in 2005 and 2006.
This year, they have broken new ground, reaching the tournament’s quarterfinals after finishing second in Group A, ahead of Lebanon’s Al Ansar and Omani side Sur.
These achievements have prompted Sivaji to warn against taking the Indian side lightly.
“Dempo come into this competition carrying a lot of clout,” he told sleague.com.
“India has gone through some redevelopment in their league football for the last couple of years, and there is more money put into the league. As champions of this league, they are a credible side.
“Any team that makes it into the quarterfinals must obviously be given more than just mere attention. But the fact that they had played against some Middle East teams and got past them to reach this stage shows their quality.”
Dempo breaking into the quarterfinals after two previous failed attempts mirrors a rise in fortunes for the Indian national team, which won the AFC Challenge Cup in August.
Overcoming opponents such as Tajikistan and Myanmar to claim the title has led to an upsurge in football interest in India, and it was no exception for the Whites.
Midfielders Clifford Miranda and Climax Lawrence are regular features in the India squad, as are defenders Samir Subash Naik and Mahesh Gawli.
All four will be keen to translate their national team form into positive performances for their club when they face Home, as Sivaji predicted a rub-off effect for Dempo’s other local boys, who in the past had found themselves overshadowed by foreign imports.
“When the national team achieves certain results, like winning the AFC Challenge Cup, it shows their football is on the up,” he reasoned.
“This success normally spreads around the local footballing fraternity. I’m sure the players there want to build on it and try to achieve something at the international level.
“Also, this will give India’s local players more attention from their local media and fans. They will strive to step up their game and prove that they are good players.
“Indian teams have not made it this far into the main AFC competitions over so many years, but now that they have, it shows they have improved. Dempo reaching the last eight can be seen as a marker that they have arrived, and they will be serious contenders.”
Despite his admiration of India’s achievements, Sivaji remains determined to lead his team into the last four, something no Singaporean side has done for the last three years.
Home and Geylang United had reached the semifinals in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2004, but since then, the Protectors, Tampines Rovers and SAFFC have all failed to get past the quarterfinals.
While the perceived gap in standards with Gulf clubs has been commonly cited as a primary reason for the Singaporean sides’ early exits, the lack of adequate rest time has also been identified as a contributory factor.
Sivaji believes, however, that a crammed fixture schedule cannot count as an excuse should the two-time S.League champions fall this time.
“Over the last two or three years, we have not made it into the semifinals because our teams could not cope with the congested fixtures we have in that period,” he said.
“But to give credit to the S.League, especially the Competitions Division, I think we have learnt from the last few seasons that we need some breaks, especially in the more difficult phases of the tournament. They have arranged that very well for SAFFC and us this time.
“In our case, we’ve had three or four days of rest here before we leave, and we’ll have another two or three days there to properly prepare. And we don’t have the pressure of rushing into any games when we come back, which was not the case before.
“In that sense, the S.League administrators have done their part. Now it’s up to us to show that we can go as far as we want to go.”
Apart from being able to enjoy more rest due to the fixture arrangements, Home can also count on a diminished home advantage for Dempo due to an AFC-decreed changed in match venue.
Lighting issues means the club cannot stick to using the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa as they did in the group stage, and must play in Hyderabad’s Gachibowli Stadium instead.
Sivaji noted that having the game at India’s technology capital would be better for his side due to various reasons, including being able to fly there on Singapore Airlines.
Nonetheless, he was certain the players can still expect to face a sizeable turnout in the 30,000-seater.
“If we had to fly to Goa, we would have to change flights midway at Calcutta or Mumbai, which means more flight time and a longer journey and is not ideal for us,” explained the 56-year-old.
“Hyderabad is a direct flight away, and we can go up there on our trusted SQ, so we know we will have a good journey. And the timing of the flight is good; we leave on a Saturday evening and we get there at about 11pm local time, so we can rest once we land.
“For Dempo, they would not enjoy the advantage they normally have for a game in Goa. Over there, they can get a big, vociferous crowd, which gives a good atmosphere.
“But India is a country where the people take a big interest in sports in general, including football. So even in Hyderabad, we can still expect a good crowd.”
