Love to dribble and sprint, Sahal Abdul Samad gets his inspiration from Lionel Messi

09/18/2019

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22-year-old Sahal Abdul Samad has said he loves to dribble and sprint wherever he plays and tries to watch and learn the Argentine maestro Lionel Messi. The youngster believes India can win the fixture against Oman in November and hope for a berth in the next round of the World Cup qualifiers.

Just seven matches old since his debut against Curacao in the King's Cup in June, Sahal Abdul Samad has already brought some fresh air in the Indian football team with his dribbling, feints, and turns, becoming a crucial midfield fulcrum in Igor Stimac's new-look India.

Not surprisingly, the young midfielder wants to mould himself like the Argentine maestro, Lionel Messi. “I love dribbling, gunning for a sprint and I love to do that wherever I play. I love to put through balls, penetrate the defence, attack with the ball. I’m a fan of Lionel Messi, I watch him a lot and try to learn as much as possible,” Sahal told PTI in an interview.

“That’s my way of playing as every player has their way of playing styles,” he added.

In the historic goal-less draw against Asian champions Qatar in the World Cup qualifiers last week, Sahal showed his prodigious talent against his more fancied opponents, as he and 23-year-old right-winger Udanta Singh got a couple of half-chances on the counter.

Sahal is a product of new head coach Igor Stimac’s insistence on blooding in youth into the national team. He showed his talent while playing for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters. The youngster is the current emerging player of the year for both the AIFF and the Indian Super League. He did not, however, make it to India’s final squad for the Asian Cup in January.

As any midfielder who loves to keep hold of the ball and dribble, Sahal sometimes loses possession in a silly way and that is one area he will need to improve on.

“At times, I hold the ball which is good and sometimes bad too. Sometimes, I lose possession in a silly way but everyone encourages me to play with the ball which gives me confidence and makes me happy as well,” said the player. He is loving Stimac’s possession-based football which makes his midfield position a crucial catalyst for transitioning the play from defence into attack with neat passes and composure.

“In modern football, it’s all about keeping the ball and making the opponent run and get them tired. I, personally, and the whole team is liking the brand of football which we are playing,” he said.

“Supporters also continue to cheer for us – everyone has been enjoying the brand of football which is a positive sign for us.”

Beaming with confidence after the national team grinded out a draw against Qatar in Doha, Sahal said India can surprise Oman in their own den and hope for a berth in the next round of the World Cup qualifiers.

“It was a historical moment. I can proudly say that it was one of the best matches of my career. This achievement has brought in much-needed confidence to the entire team,” he said.

“After earning this crucial point, we have to make sure of winning the next two games (against Bangladesh and Afghanistan). Then only we will get the fighting spirit to work further and proceed. Now, we know what we are capable of and how much we can improve. Personally, I think we can surprise them (Oman).”

India had lost to Oman 1-2 in Guwahati in the campaign opener in a match Stimac’s side could have logged full three points but a concentration lapse saw them let two goals in at the final stages of the game.

India plays Oman in November in Muscat while taking on Qatar at home in March next year.

Against Qatar, Sahal had a go at the opposition goal in the second half when India started to open up a bit and looked to hit on the counter. But his left-footed volley from outside the box off a corner taken by Anirudh Thapa missed the mark narrowly.

“I had a great chance which was unexpected given the flow of the game. I tried my best but unfortunately, I missed it. That’s the reality of football where you get a chance and if you can grab it, it’ll make the difference,” said Sahal.

Asked about Stimac’s game plan against Qatar, he said, “The coach has taught us to be realistic and know the opponents minutely. He wanted us to focus on our defensive structure without forgetting to attack.

“Above all, he asked us to enjoy the game. Sometimes, under the pressure from the opponents, we forget to enjoy the game but it should not happen.”