Bengaluru FC, Mohun Bagan's AFC Cup exposure good for Indian football: Arnab Mondal
Mumbai: Experience in continental competitions like the AFC Champions League (qualifiers) and the AFC Cup in club football will, in the long run, help the Indian football team, believes India’s star centreback Arnab Mondal.
“International exposure is always good. Bengaluru FC and Mohun Bagan have both been playing these matches,” said Arnab, speaking on the sidelines of the national team’s training session at the Mumbai Football Stadium, on Wednesday.
“This is something that will help all those players who have taken part in this competition,” he said.
India, who jumped to the 132nd spot in the FIFA rankings after thumping higher ranked Puerto Rico 4-1 last year, have not played an international for around eight months no0w, and are set to be thrown into the mix of International football, with an away third round AFC Asian Cup qualifier scheduled to be held later this month, against Myanmar.
The Blue Tigers have been placed in a relatively favourable group, where Kyrgyzstan are the only side that is ranked higher than India.
Arnab, who currently plies his trade for Kolkata giants East Bengal in I-League, and Atletico de Kolkata in the ISL, believes that the future generations of Indian football will benefit if the current national team can perform well in the qualifiers and make it to the main draw of the continental competition.
“The better we perform, the better it will be for the coming generations,” said Arnab. “If we play well in these matches, it will be better for the Indian football team.
“We don't get to play so many games. So if we perform well here, it would be better for the future of the team,” he continued. “This is exactly why we have been practicing and working hard. We have total belief in ourselves that we can qualify.”
No apparent captain for the Blue Tigers
Although forward Sunil Chhetri dons the captain’s armband on most occasions, Arnab Mondal revealed that coach Stephen Constantine has done away with the system of keeping one particular captain.
Being one of the senior players in the young side, Arnab himself is one of the choices to wear the captain’s armband, something he has already done.
“It’s rotational system. There is no one captain,” quipped Arnab, when asked about the leadership roles in the team.
“There are four (senior players) – Sunil, Robin (Singh), Gurpreet (Singh Sandhu), and myself. So the team is not dependent on any one player. The whole team works together,” he said. “Whoever gets the captains armband, has to lead on the ground, but we as a team take responsibility and fight together.”
On being asked who will lead the team out in the friendly against Cambodia and the Asian Cup qualifier against Myanmar, Arnab said: “The coach hasn't decided yet. It will probably be Sunil, like on most occasions.
“Everyone has to take responsibility for themselves and their respective departments.”
Apart from the four captaincy candidates, Arnab believes that there a few other senior players, who help the juniors out, during the national camps and on tours.
“There are a few of us senior players, like Sunil, Jeje (Lalpekhlua), Mishtu Da, and (Subroto Paul). And the coach has called up players who he feels can fit into the team,” he said.
Arnab Mondal has won a few silverware on the club level, clinching the 2012/13 Federation Cup with East Bengal, and winning the 2014 and 2016 Indian Super League titles with Atletico de Kolkata.
However, his winnings on the international level has been restricted to just the one SAFF Championship (2015) medal.
When asked about his goals for the national team, Arnab had one answer: “I want to play for India for as long as possible. And no matter how many trophies I win for my country, will always seem less.”
