HT Kick Off: Escape to victory

Bibiano Fernandes knew the only if way of life republic of india could win against persia was if they escaped to triumph. To do that India would have to defend like they never had and capitalise on the few chances they got. So, after India came from behind to lead 2-1 and tried running down the clock but kept conceding possession, Fernandes said he tried to stay calm.

“I wanted to focus on how we can defend with Iran all over us,” said the India under-17 head when I asked what was going through his mind once his team was ahead.

“So, I was thinking of substitutions. The instruction to staff was: let me know quickly if somebody was dropping (in intensity).” At an online media conference on Wednesday, Fernandes said: “I knew as time ran out, the opponents will start to panic.”

There are enough examples of teams doing anything but against India. Think Bahrain in 2019. Think Hong Kong this year. Think the stoppage-time goals Qatar scored against Bahrain in the 2025 Asian under-23 qualifiers that killed India’s chances of qualifying. Or, how close East Bengal’s women’s team were to making the Asian Champions League quarter-final.

Having rotated to keep the squad fresh, Fernandes ensured that Sunday wouldn’t be one of those nights.

“It’s been three days and I am still getting goosebumps talking about it. I have watched the match a few times and there have been moments when I still felt tense,” Fernandes told reporters.

Among the “small, small things” that helped India win were messages from Renedy Singh, Khalid Jamil, Naushad Moosa, Sandesh Jhingan, Rahul Bheke and videos from the players’ parents, said Fernandes.

“Compiled overnight by the AIFF’s media team, the families’ video was shown to the players just before we left the hotel. A player later told me: ‘Meine apne ma ko dekha, unka message suna aur mujhe laga aaj kuch karna hai,’” said Fernandes.

Along with India’s women and under-20 teams qualifying for the Asian finals, this would be the top three achievements in a year that will be remembered for a stalled league and the men’s team hitting a low.

“This win will show that we are closer to qualifying for the World Cup,” Fernandes said in an interview to HT. In 2002 and in 2018, the latter on Fernandes’s watch, India were one win from qualifying for the under-17 World Cup for the first time.

Only semi-finalists made the cut then and on both occasions India had lost in the round of eight. The rules have changed. The under-17 World Cup is an annual affair and to be in Qatar next November, it will be enough if India do what they did in 2002 and 2018. It will also ensure automatic entry to the next Asian under-17 finals.

Two good results in the group stage and it is possible, Fernandes said on Wednesday. “For that, we need to feel the pressure of the finals in the competitions and matches we play now.”

The gap between elite football nations and the rest is the narrowest in the World Cup that smells of teen spirit. Which means the fundamental flaws (short season, little attention to infrastructure and youth development are but three) that have arrested India’s development can be compensated for best at this level. Explains why India could score four against Japan in 2023, lose 0-1 to South Korea in 2018 and hold Real Madrid under-17 3-3 in a friendly in 2023.

Some players also develop late and are not part of under-17 teams. “Some players adapt quickly like, for example, Vikram. He also worked hard, really worked hard,” Fernandes said of Mumbai City FC forward Vikram Partap Singh who played under him in 2017 and 2018 and made his senior India debut under Igor Stimac in 2024.

From the roster of 2018, Bikash Yumnam, Gurkirat Singh and Ricky Shabong have also crafted careers in ISL. From the squad of 2023, Thanglalsoun Gangte is with Diamond Harbour FC and Punjab FC’s Pramveer Singh is among senior India probables.

Such attrition levels are normal, said Fernandes. The comment fits a bigger trend of players who have won the under-17 World Cup but have then failed to make an impact. It is not a trend unique to football.

Being clever about choosing the club can help further a teen’s career, Fernandes had said in an interview in 2023. His views have not changed.

“Parents, coaches and agents influence these decisions. And they have to understand that investing time in playing, rather than going for fame or big club, should be the aim. Vikram signed for a big club and he has worked hard and he is there. But other players may need a different level, maybe I-League, maybe I-League 2,” said Fernandes. Advice the current squad will do well to heed.

Like in 2023 when India last made the Asian finals, this squad had a number of players from Manipur. “They play a lot of tournaments there,” said Fernandes. It is an example for all other AIFF affiliates to emulate.

After a steady club career as a midfielder, Fernandes has found his calling. He credited fellow Goan coach Caitano Pinho and Dutch coach educator Raymond Verheijen for how he interprets football.

“For me, training is mainly trying to replicate match situations and keeping things simple. Football at every level is about communication, decision and execution. What changes is that the higher the level, space and time get reduced.

“I try and explain the role and responsibility with and without the ball in a way that small boys can understand. Mistakes are okay with me if it happens while trying to help the team,” he said.

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