'Indian football team lacked desire vs B'desh'

India lacked desire in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh, said national football team director Subrata Paul.

- Dhiman Sarkar

KOLKATA: The former international has also listed team spirit among the challenges faced by the senior men's team after the 0-0 draw in Shillong on March 25.

The minutes of a technical committee meeting on April 17 states that Paul, a former India No. 1 and Arjuna award winner in 2016, "highlighted several key challenges faced by the Senior National Team (sic). These included issues related to Player's attitude (sic), patriotism and overall team spirit." HT has seen the minutes.

Paul should explain why he said this, said Bhaichung Bhutia, an executive committee member of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), over the phone from Gangtok. "And he should name the players who he felt had not given their best so that they are not chosen anymore," said Bhutia, Paul's India captain for five years during which the team won two Nehru Cup titles, the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup and qualified to the 2011 Asian Cup.