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Will India end the eight-year winless streak against Tajikistan on Wednesday?Photo Credit: AIFF Media
The Indian national football team returns to action after five months on Wednesday when they take on Tajikistan in an away international friendly. It will only be the third international friendly of Wim Koevermans’ tenure with the previous two ending in defeats against Singapore and Palestine.
Tajikistan are placed 31 spots above India at 114th in the FIFA Rankings and home advantage will certainly make them the clear favourites.
India’s head-to-head record of one win, one draw and a defeat against Tajikistan doesn’t look bad but their record in international friendlies on foreign soil is dire.
In fact, India haven’t won an international friendly abroad for more than eight years now. That last success came on June 16, 2005, when India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan 1-0 in Peshawar thanks to a second half strike from forward Abdul Hakim.
Since then, India have played 15 international friendlies on foreign shores and drawn only two of them with the other 13 ending in defeats.
In that period, India have played countries from four different continents (Asia, North America, Europe and Oceania), and under six different coaches (Sukhwinder Singh, Syed Nayeemuddin, Bob Houghton, Armando Colaco, Savio Medeira and Wim Koevermans), but still haven’t been able to end this poor run.
Even Bob Houghton couldn’t guide India to a win in an away international friendly
It’s worth noting that the win over Pakistan came in a three-match tour so we would have to go further back for India’s last win in a one-off away international friendly. That was achieved on November 5, 2004, when they defeated Kuwait 3-2 in Kuwait, thanks to goals from Tomba Singh, Jerry Zirsanga and Abhishek Yadav during the coaching tenure of Stephen Constantine.
Despite achieving the high of having his team qualify for the Asia Cup, Bob Houghton failed tomuster a victory in away international friendlies with his record reading: played five, lost five. Under his successor Armando Colaco, who was only in charge for five months, India defeated Qatar 2-1 in on July 17 2011 but that was unfortunately in an unofficial match.
Here is a table on India’s results in away international friendlies since that win over Pakistan.
| Opponent | Score | Indian Goalscorer(s) | Date | Venue |
| Pakistan | 0-3 | - | June 18 2005 | Lahore, Pakistan |
| Fiji | 0-1 | - | August 12 2005 | Lautoka, Fiji |
| Fiji | 1-2 | Surkumar Singh | August 14 2005 | Suva, Fiji |
| Hong Kong | 2-2 | Syed Rahim Nabi, Bhaichung Bhutia | February 18 2006 | Hong Kong |
| Hong Kong | 1-2 | Bhaichung Bhutia | January 14, 2009 | Hong Kong |
| Thailand | 0-1 | - | September 4 2010 | Bangkok, Thailand |
| Iraq | 0-3 | - | November 11 2010 | Sharjah, UAE |
| Kuwait | 1-9 | Mohammed Rafi | November 14 2010 | Abu Dhabi, UAE |
| UAE | 0-5 | - | November 18 2010 | Dubai, UAE |
| Maldives | 1-1 | Sunil Chhetri | July 10 2011 | Male, Maldives |
| Trinidad & Tobago | 0-3 | - | August 21 2011 | Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago |
| Guyana | 1-2 | Steven Dias | August 24 2011 | Georgetown, Guyana |
| Oman | 1-5 | Joaquim Abranches | February 23 2012 | Seeb, Oman |
| Azerbaijan | 0-3 | - | February 27 2012 | Dubai, UAE |
| Singapore | 0-2 | - | October 16 2012 | Singapore |
The table reveals that for a long time India didn’t play too many away friendlies, with only five matches in four years since that last victory against Pakistan.
It was only during the last 12 months of the Bob Houghton era that India started playing regular away international friendlies as they were preparing for the 2011 Asian Cup. But since March 2012, India have played only one friendly abroad.
The friendly against Tajikistan is being used to prepare for next month’s SAFF Championship in Nepal but the possibility of ending this eight-year winless streak should also inspire Koevermans and his players.
Due to AIFF’s financial problems and the fact that the national team doesn’t have a sponsor at present, India are unlikely to play another away international friendly anytime soon.
Indian football fans would hope that the wait for that elusive win ends on Wednesday.
