Stepping into the Ambedkar Stadium in the Capital, three decades ago, one was witness to an unforgettable moment. A booming strike by Majid Baskar, a burly Iranian, who found the target with such precision and power, having barely entered the rival half and created just the space for him to launch into a mind-boggling display of scoring prowess.
Baskar, muscular, electric in movement, with a canny eye to spot an opening, was arguably the finest foreign footballer to have graced the football turfs in India. Old-timers swear by his endurance and strength, his broad shoulders adding to his awesome presence. He had a huge following and was a big hit with female fans. Television was in early stages in India and only a sprinkling of matches beamed from overseas was available. Baskar belonged to that class, having represented Iran at the 1978 World Cup.
Then there were Jamshid Nassiri and Mohammad Kabazi, super stars in Indian football. Hailing from Iran, they dominated with ease, their athleticism an object of envy. In the 1940s and 1950s, Indian football fans saw quality players like Fred Pagsley from Burma and later Oomer and Moosa from Pakistan. In terms of longevity, Nassiri stands tall.
“I have been in India, specifically Calcutta (Kolkata), for almost 35 years and had a very successful career of more than 15 years playing for clubs like East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting. I have the unique distinction of scoring in three successive Federation Cup finals — twice for Mohammedan Sporting (1983 and 1984) and once for East Bengal (1985). That makes my Indian experience very memorable. As a coach I was perhaps the only foreigner to help the Bengal side win the National Games gold in 1999. Bengal also did well under me in the Santosh Trophy,” reflects Nassiri.
As the world follows the football carnival happening in Brazil, Nassiri takes a realistic stock of India’s status. “India’s current standard has fallen drastically from the time we played. It applies both to the club and the national teams. This may have happened because of the lack of dedication and commitment among the players. Much like what they feel for their clubs, they are also not committed enough to the national jersey, which is why India’s international ranking has gone down. Even Nepal has more academies than India.”
Nigeria has contributed a steady stream of footballers, some of whom have made India their home. Chima Okorie, who was immensely popular for his aggressive brand of football, came to India as a student and pursued the game after getting offers from clubs in Calcutta. He says, “I was not a professional but my experience of playing in India is good. I enjoyed my time playing for all the big clubs in Kolkata. I also earned a lot of respect for my contribution to the game.”
Okorie, now a players’ agent and the first non-Indian to play for Mohun Bagan, differs from Nassiri when evaluating the state of the game in India. “I feel the Indian standard has gone up over the years. Football was all about Kolkata initially, but the game has spread to many centres over the years. Now clubs from Goa have come up very well and we have a new champion from Bangalore (Bengaluru) this time. I am sure I will be able to see India qualifying for the World Cup in my lifetime. All we need is the right kind of administrators on the top of the Federation who will get the right infrastructure.”
In the I-league, players from 20 countries have represented different clubs. They have come from Spain, England, Costa Rica, Lebanon, North Korea, the Philippines, Afghanistan, Japan and Australia. This is in contrast to the inaugural National Football league in 1996, when non-Indian players were drafted mainly from Nigeria, Ghana, Sri Lanka and Nepal. The quality of foreign players in the national football league has certainly improved.
The presence of players from other countries has helped Indian football. Noted football commentator Novy Kapadia observes, “Fitness levels of Indian players have improved by training and watching the foreign stars. Indian defenders learn how to cope with strikers who indulge in body play. The downside is that all I-League teams have one or two foreign strikers, which means lesser chances for Indian players to emerge.”
The emergence of the Indian Super League is being seen by many as a positive development in the country’s football.
The tournament is set to usher in a new format with franchises replacing clubs in a professional arrangement modelled on the Major League Soccer of the U.S.A. The formation of the franchises has seen a convergence of sports, showbiz and industry, which is certainly going to pump more money into Indian football.
This has also put a big challenge to I-League and club-based football, which has a history of more than 100 years.
Indian football now awaits the phase when some of the local stars would earn contracts from overseas clubs.
That would signify and confirm India’s progress in this most beautiful game.
Kicking it up
Over the years, quality players figuring in Indian football have been David Williams, Emeka, who played for Nigeria in the 1994 World Cup, Jose Ramirez Baretto, Ranty Martins, Onyeka Okolie Odafa, Roberto Mendes Silva (Beto), Dudu Omag Beni, Igor Shkvirin, Chibuzor, Yusuf Yakubu, Douglas D’Silva, Suley Musa, Opoku, Jackson Abyapong, Mike Okoro, Stephen Abroweyi, Sammy Omolo, Emmanuel Opoku, Portuguese striker Edinho (Jr.) — who joined Shillong Lajong FC on loan from Blackburn Rovers — and Prayag United’s midfielder Carlos Hernandez, who represented Costa Rica in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
