{"id":38089,"date":"2020-09-11T13:08:57","date_gmt":"2020-09-11T13:08:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indiansportsnews.co.in\/?p=38089"},"modified":"2020-09-11T13:08:57","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T13:08:57","slug":"draw-against-qatar-is-an-evolution-for-indian-football-states-anirudh-thapa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indiansportsnews.co.in\/?p=38089","title":{"rendered":"Draw against Qatar is an \u2018evolution for Indian Football, states Anirudh Thapa"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AnirudhAIFF Media Team<\/strong><\/p>\n

NEW DELHI:<\/strong> Talented midfielder Anirudh Thapa, one of the mainstays in the midfield of the Blue Tigers described India\u2019s 0-0 draw against Asian Champions Qatar as an \u201cevolution\u201d for Indian football.<\/p>\n

“After fifty years, this match might be labelled as the evolution of Indian Football when Indian Football was still developing. Stakes were high and no one expected much from us. Our performances were going unnoticed and uncovered. But holding the Asian champions at their backyard was a turnaround for Indian Football,\u201d Thapa averred in a live chat on AIFF TV.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe result sent shock waves in the stadium after the final whistle,\u201d he further added.<\/p>\n

“Qatari players were respectful, but honestly they didn’t expect us to do something which we actually did. They were shocked,\u201d Thapa maintained.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThey gave everything on the field. They tried their level-best to breach our defence but couldn’t,” Thapa explained. “No other team was able to do what we did at their home ground. We didn’t commit any mistake and give them a chance to hurt (us). It was a memorable night for all of us.”<\/p>\n

\u201cNo Asian team have defeated or drawn against them and obviously they went to play the Copa America to play against teams such as Argentina, Colombia and Paraguay. We had a very good result and it was a very memorable day.\u201d<\/p>\n

“Xavi (Hernandez) had come to watch the match and he was shocked too. His reaction was pretty much similar to the Qatari players,” the ex-AIFF Academy cadet recalled. \u201cWe gave our all into that performance — defending, passing — everything was on point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qatar are currently the Asian Champions when they beat Japan 3-1 in the final of AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 to lift their maiden continental championship in February 2019.<\/p>\n

Anirudh Thapa, Qatar, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifier
India had gone into the match without their talismanic and inspirational captain Sunil Chhetri who was ruled out owing to illness.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we were standing in the tunnel, we were very positive and confident. We knew it would be a tough game but that\u2019s what helped us to be mentally prepared for the game,\u201d he recollected.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were under pressure. But there was a sense of positivity amongst all. Sunil-bhai was not there, Ashique-bhai was not there too. But Udanta and Nikhil-bhai came in for them, and were raring to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe missed Sunil-bhai during the match. He\u2019s a true leader up front, and everybody knows what he\u2019s all about,\u201d Thapa stated. \u201cHe was waiting for us at the team hotel, and went mad seeing us back. He was behaving like a kid. At the airport the next morning, he treated us for lunch.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"AnirudhAIFF Media Team<\/strong><\/p>\n

NEW DELHI:<\/strong> Talented midfielder Anirudh Thapa, one of the mainstays in the midfield of the Blue Tigers described India\u2019s 0-0 draw against Asian Champions Qatar as an \u201cevolution\u201d for Indian football.<\/p>\n

“After fifty years, this match might be labelled as the evolution of Indian Football when Indian Football was still developing. Stakes were high and no one expected much from us. Our performances were going unnoticed and uncovered. But holding the Asian champions at their backyard was a turnaround for Indian Football,\u201d Thapa averred in a live chat on AIFF TV.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe result sent shock waves in the stadium after the final whistle,\u201d he further added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38088,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[82],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football-football"],"yoast_head":"\nDraw against Qatar is an \u2018evolution for Indian Football, states Anirudh Thapa - IndianSportsNews.com - Latest Updated Sports News & Sports Blogs of Cricket, Hockey, Golf, Football, Tennis & Other Sports<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/indiansportsnews.co.in\/?p=38089\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Draw against Qatar is an \u2018evolution for Indian Football, states Anirudh Thapa - IndianSportsNews.com - Latest Updated Sports News & Sports Blogs of Cricket, Hockey, Golf, Football, Tennis & Other Sports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"AIFF Media Team NEW DELHI: Talented midfielder Anirudh Thapa, one of the mainstays in the midfield of the Blue Tigers described India\u2019s 0-0 draw against Asian Champions Qatar as an \u201cevolution\u201d for Indian football. 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