Sunil Chhetri working, scoring goals as if he's 25: Stimac
Jun 08, 2021
Doha [Qatar], June 8 : Blue Tigers head coach Igor Stimac has said that striker Sunil Chhetri is still working on his game as if he is 25 and that shows the passion he still has towards the game.
Chhetri had added another feather to his illustrious cap as he overtook Argentina star Lionel Messi to become the second-highest active international goalscorer on Monday. He achieved the feat when he struck a brace to help India defeat Bangladesh 2-0 in the ongoing FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and AFC Asian Cup China Qualifiers at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium at Al Sadd Club in Doha.
"Many people keep on asking as to when Sunil is going to retire. He works so hard on the pitch, and in every training session, he is by far the best. He is in such good shape and is working with such professionalism. He is working as if he is 25, playing as if he is 25, and scoring goals like he is 25," Stimac said in an official release issued by All India Football Federation (AIFF).
'Ironman' Sandesh Jhingan felt that Sunil's name will still be remembered even after a century. "Some 100 or 200 years down the line, people will still talk about Sunil Chhetri. As long as there is Indian Football, people will remember his name. It's for everyone to see what he does on the field. Hence, I would rather like to mention that off the field he is the perfect example for all to follow."
"I will keep on mentioning that there's one guy floating in between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi -- and that's my teammate, my captain Sunil Chhetri," Gurpreet Singh Sandhu said. "It shows his commitment and how consistent he has been scoring goals -- one after the other. It's simply remarkable," he added.
Talking about his own performance, Chhetri said: "The match against Bangladesh was a tough match, frustrating at times," he referred. "We were guilty of missing a lot of chances. We could have done better. It has been a topsy-turvy qualifying campaign. Looking back, we understand that we could have done a lot better. We will talk about it but I am happy that we got three points."
India will next lock horns against Afghanistan in the Qualifiers on June 15. The side is already out of contention to qualify for FIFA World Cup 2022, but the Blue Tigers can still qualify for AFC Asian Cup.
