The AIFF Youth Cup (U-16) is underway in Goa with the Indian junior national football team hosting four teams from across continents, including a strong
team from the USA, who are the title favourites. The organisation of the youth tournament, the first of its kind in India, is a welcome initiative by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The tournament, essentially, has been organised
by the national federation to evaluate the progress of its under-17 squad which will participate in the forthcoming AFC U-16 Championship and the next year’s mega event, the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, which will be the biggest major football tournament hosted by India till date. While the AIFF has a detailed plan for the junior squad for exposure trips to various countries, it is tournaments such as the one being held at Tilak Maidan in Vasco that can give head
coach Nicolai Adam, his coaching staff and the scouts, a good indication of the progress of the boys who will represent India in the marquee FIFA event. The squad has already been to international exposure tours to Germany, Spain and
South Africa and would embark on
tours to Germany, Norway and Brazil
immediately after the completion
of the AIFF Youth Cup.
However, the tournament in Goa is important for Adam and
his team as it will give them a clear picture about the progress
of his wards. It won’t necessarily have the positives that the
coaches are looking for, but the negatives, if any, could be
weeded out when they have enough time in hand. Also, as
Adam points out every time in his interviews, the selection
window for the final squad has not closed yet. There could be
change in personnel before or even after the AFC tournament
in September.
There has been a lot of hue and cry in Goa over the selection
of the squad by Adam, which doesn’t include a single Goan.
According to Adam -- a German who served as the head coach
of the U-16 and U-17 national teams of Azerbaijan and guided
their U-19 national team to the Elite Group of UEFA -- he has
selected the best of the lot enlisted by the AIFF in the scouting
programme. This either means the Goans are just not good
enough in the eyes of Adam and his team, or simply he has not
seen enough of the best of Goan talent. In a pre-tournament
interview a few days back, Adam even proclaimed that Goa
has no right to complain about the national team selection because
the Goa Football Association (GFA) failed to organise a
practice match between its best selection and the India U16
team; a scouting opportunity missed for him. Indeed it’s an
opportunity not provided to the Goan lads, who would be itching
to get their chance to impress Adam.
Presence of no Goan in the national team also means there
is a lack of interest in the tournament for the locals. The India
vs Malaysia match saw a handful of spectators turn up for the
8 pm kick-off fixture at the Tilak Maidan. No Goan in the team
or not, it does highlight the decline of Goan football as a spectator
sport. But are we lacking in talent too? The GFA and the
AIFF need to address the question.
