India and Kyrgyzstan are two teams that have gone in two different directions in terms of the FIFA rankings ever since the third round of the AFC Qualifiers began. The Blue Tigers and their opponents for tomorrow began on the 132nd and 125th spot respectively, but the Indians under Stephen Constantine have continued an upward surge that has seen them get into the top 100 for the first time in two decades.
Meanwhile, their opponents have slumped to 132 during this period, with their win over Macau in their first AFC Qualifier game being their only competitive game. However, all these numbers go out of the window when the two teams take the field at the Shree Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore tomorrow, according to Indian coach Stephen Constantine.
"I think all these numbers are not worth the paper it's written on," quipped the Englishman. "The rankings are there for a particular reason. There are many verticals that determine the rankings like who you play and all. But being 32 places above or 32 places below in the rankings is not going to decide the game. It will be decided by who wants it more and by how hard and how well we play."
The visitors are known for their defensive resilience having conceded only one goal in their last five games. And the Indian coach feels that the Blue Tigers will be in for another tough tussle come the 13th of June.
"They are an experienced side and have quality throughout their ranks. They remind me of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and should not be underestimated.
"But we too are a team that is on the up and this will be a big challenge for us."
The Indian team have improved in a lot of aspects as they have climbed 73 steps on the FIFA rankings and currently are on a seven-game win streak, the first ever the country has witnessed. And one aspect that has really impressed all and sundry is their physical fitness. That was on show in their last game against Myanmar where, despite being overworked for much of the game due to a lack of possession, India struck the winner courtesy of a blistering counter attack in the dying moments of the game.
And if the game comes to grinding it out in the second half with the physical conditioning of the players being called into question, the Indian coach feels his side have the upper hand.
"If it's a battle of stamina, I will put my money on my boys against anybody at the moment. We are physical. We are quite strong. In all, we are a fit and hard working team who are difficult to break down.
"They will be thinking that they can win this and they are justified in their thought. But we are here at home and we will be looking to get all three points."
The Indian team will be boosted by the return of Sunil Chhetri as the skipper makes a timely recovery from an injury that saw him miss the final of the Federation Cup as well as the friendly against Nepal last week which India won 2-0.
Except for Udanta Singh, who went down with an injury in the final of the Federation Cup, Constantine will have his full arsenal to call upon as India looks to get one step closer to qualifying for the 2019 AFC Asia Cup.
