The Indian football team is all set to embark on a historic quest when they travel to Abu Dhabi for the AFC Asian Cup 2019. Ahead of their departure on Thursday, head coach Stephen Constantine, captain Sunil Chhetri and President of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Mr Praful Patel were in attendance to address the media at a press conference in Delhi. A few members of the national team were also present to unveil the new national team jersey which the side will don for the landmark competition in two weeks’ time.

India have been drawn with Thailand, UAE and Bahrain in Group A. Speaking about their opponents, Chhetri shed light on the challenge they pose but declared that his side was prepared. "I know no matter who we get, it is going to be difficult. That is the big challenge. I was just happy that we qualified, and I was ready to face whoever we got. In respect to the three teams, they are very difficult sides, but I think we are much more prepared now," he said.

Chhetri also elaborated on the importance of starting the tournament on the right note and said, "I expect the team to do everything to get three points from our first game. That is what we, as players, are thinking about right now. We are well prepared. There aren’t many injuries, which is important. Only Nishu (Kumar) is injured. We have a good two and a half weeks to prepare."

Chhetri has been the talisman of the Indian team for quite a few years now, but the Bengaluru FC captain insisted that other players have stepped up to the plate in recent years and deserve all the plaudits. "The team doesn’t only have one star. For me, players like Jeje Lalpekhlua, Sandesh Jhingan, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Anirudh Thapa and others are the main reason why we have qualified for this tournament," he remarked.

Head coach Constantine reflected on the moment when India qualified for the AFC Asian Cup, taking the opportunity to acknowledge the efforts put in by everyone behind the success. "I think, the moment we qualified for the Asian Cup mathematically, that was a great memory. It was not a one-man band. It was a team effort, and everybody connected to the Indian football team should be proud of that," he said proudly.

The AFC Asian Cup will also be a huge moment in Constantine’s managerial career. He insisted that he was intent on keeping his players fit and making the country proud. "This is a massive tournament for me, the team and everyone involved. I take it like any other tournament. We will take one match at a time. We have already lost two players but when one man is down, another takes his place. We look forward to going to the Asian Cup and making India proud," the Englishman stated.

Mr Praful Patel has also been another key figure behind the national team’s success in recent years. When asked about his expectations of the team at the tournament, he replied, "The team has all the support from the All India Football Federation. I am very happy with the preparedness of the team. The country should root for the team. We should always hope to win the tournament."

He concluded by charting out the long-term ambitions for the Indian team, including a possible spot in football’s grandest stage in a few years’ time. "The Asian dream has to be first achieved before we move on to the next dream. I would say that 2026 should be our mission because there will be eight teams from Asia playing in the FIFA World Cup. I think with the current form and if things go right and we really set out our minds and heads together, we can definitely get there," he said.