Nowhere near achieving its aim

FOUR YEARS ago the All-India Football Federation instituted the National Football League with great fanfare and a sponsorship of Rs. 1.08 crore. The league, it was hoped, would cure many of the perceived ills and give our football the much needed lift.

The current edition of the league, with 12 teams as against eight in the inaugural season, in a single group over two legs as against two groups of six each last season, and a sponsorship of about Rs. 2 crores, has not encouraged the thought or feeling that our football is anywhere near achieving the aim.

Indeed, at the post-FC Kochin-Mahindra and Mahindra match press briefing in Mumbai, the latter's coach, Syed Shahid Hakeem, observed there was a drastic drop in the intelligence quotient levels shown by our players. Too many of them just do not recognise the basics to gain control of the game, like keeping the ball and passes on the ground and make it easy for colleagues.

Mahindras, though not as successful as last season when it became the first Mumbai team to win the Durand Cup, has had a fairly good season before the National League. But it felt the need to strengthen its squad and challenge for the most prestigious competition of the country.

It had made no secret of its desire to recruit two or three foreigners it could under the NFL regulations; it already had Bernard and Christopher, two Nigerians who have been here long enough to be honorary Indian citizens.

Early in the morning (3 a.m.) of the match against Churchill Brothers, came Sameer Jameel, a sweeper, from Jordan. Hakeem had not intended to play him that day. But the need to push Bernard from deep defence into midfield to build up attacks made Hakeem change his plans.

Mahindras is also keen to get the international transfer of a Nigerian midfielder, Uchi, and play him in the remaining matches. Hakeem very strongly believes that Uchi could be the catalyst Mahindras is desperate for.

The Mumbai challenger is not alone in banking on the recruitment of foreign players to win the NFL. In the match in which Mahindras introduced Jameel, Churchill Brothers gave the head to two Ukranians, striker Andriy Malchevsky, who had made a good impression with the Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting in the last Rovers Cup, and deep defender or midfielder Mykola Shevchenko.

The majority of the NFL contestants believe foreigners hold the key. In the first three editions of the NFL, Air-India had stood out as one team not enamuored by foreigners. Unfortunately Air- India's good results have had no impact. Worse, the recruitment of foreigners also exposes the haphazard planning of the teams to the NFL. The worst, though, is this approach made for by the All- India Football Federation's regulations for the NFL and circumstances, or more bluntly financial dictates. The NFL regulations allow a team to register 27 players, 20 of whom should be before the first match and the remaining seven before the last but one match. In all probability, the AIFF sought to help the teams offer short-term contracts to the foreign players and thus avoid a heavy financial drain. And the teams gratefully have grabbed the opportunities to induct foreign players.

The snag is the teams could opt to recruit and register foreign players among the last seven they do. This surprisingly on the advice of coaches and managers who should know better. For to succeed in what is a tough competition compressed into about four months, that is 22 matches, with the additional strain of travel, change of climate and ground conditions, elaborate planning is a must. The opposition is tough and varied, which calls for preparation and much realignment of forces and tactics.

Any sensible, professional coach will have reservations about blending players he had observed, trained and known over the season with those he has hardly watched. And it is even more difficult for the players to harmonise into a well-knit team. It will take time to develop a fair understanding at practice and three or four matches, maybe even more, in match situations.

This was noticeable in Jameel's debut for Mahindras. The Jordanian pushed the ball to a colleague ahead and darted for a quick return that would have either set up or effected a break through the rival ranks. But Jameel's new colleagues could not read his intent.

In the circumstances, will recruitment of foreigners on the eve or just after the start of the NFL give full value for the heavy expense on them? Especially when, as Air India emphasised through performance, that most of the foreigners are not superior to Indian players who could be had from other clubs of the same state on transfer or loan for the NFL, if the AIFF makes the necessary provision.

K. BHASKARAN

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