Nakul Shivani/ New Delhi

The football FIFA world cup has reached its business end. The best of the 32 teams in fray are set to kick-off for the biggest prize in the world of football.

After each four-year cycle, Indian fans reconcile to picking their favourite team from either Europe, South America, Latin America or maybe Africa. India, unfortunately, does not feature in the minds of the soccer crazy fans - It cannot, since India has never qualified for the championship.

Despite producing some individual greats, we have never been good enough to challenge the best in the world.

Ishfaq Ahmed, the Kashmir-born former India international, and currently coach of the Kerala Blasters FC, a leading club in the Indian Soccer League, spoke to Awaz-the Voice about what ails Indian football, and what is the way ahead for India to be counted as one of the major players in the world of football.

Ishfaq Ahmed in East Bengal colors 

Here are excerpts from the exclusive conversation:

You must have been watching the current FIFA world cup in Qatar, how would you rate the level of football played by Asian and African teams as compared to what the Europeans and South American nations are displaying?

Well, over the years Asian countries, likes of Japan, Iran and Saudi Arabia have improved a lot and no wonder they have beaten some top countries of the world. African countries like Morocco is leading the way.

That brings me to the natural sequel to that question, where does Indian football fit into the current scheme of things at the world-level? 

Honestly, we are atleast 10 years behind top Asian football countries like Japan.

If we want to reach the same level, then we have to get rid of short term plans and have to do the same things what Japan did 15 years back.

There is a school of thought that says, Indians are not genetically made to play such a physically enduring sport. What is your take on this? 

They are same people who use to say the same thing for Japan and Korea also.

Ishfaq Ahmed in action during his playing days

Looking at the history of Indian football, we were surely a force to reckon with in the 60s and 70s, atleast at the Asian level. Where do you think things went wrong that we could not capitalize on the platform given to us by that generation of Indian footballers?

As I told you it’s all about planning of 10 to 12 years. When other countries started doing that, unfortunately we were one of the few countries who didn’t follow the proper planning and then we fooled ourselves by investing in short term goals and are still doing the same.

Compare the standard of football that you saw in the domestic league when you were a player and what you see now as a member of the coaching staff. 

To be honest nothing much has changed. But yes, infrastructure has improved. But we are still way behind other countries.

"Infrastructure has improved in Indian football" - Ishfaq Ahmed

From the next FIFA world cup, there will be 48 teams in the finals. Do you see India making a serious attempt at coming close to booking a ticket to North America? 

I don’t see it happening anytime soon unless or until we change our approach.

For next 10 years our goal should be to atleast reach the last-eight or last-four in Asia cup, thereby, automatically improve chances to qualify for the World Cup 

Finally, since you are now not only a coach with a top-level club in the country, but also member of the Technical committee of the AIFF, help our readers understand the roadmap required for India to become a serious footballing nation at the world level. 

It’s all about planning 10 to 12 years in advance in every state. Grassroots tournament of age groups under-6, under-8, under-10, and so on.

"We need tournaments at grassroot level" - Ishfaq Ahmed

Then, there has to proper youth national league. I am very glad that from this season AIFF is going to organise such a league. This will put a proper process to continue for 12 years, and then will see our country produce top players. We have the talent. And yes, one very important part of this has to be the coach education programme. One good coach can produce one good player and one coach with less knowledge or wrong knowledge can spoil two good players.

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by USA, Mexico and Canada. It will be the first world cup to feature 48 countries.