Chhetri calls for away matches against tougher opponents ahead of Asian Cup

Chhetri said his team needs the best of preparations to make it count in the January 5 to February 1 event in the United Arab Emirates next year after crashing out of the group stage in the 2011 edition -- the last time India played in the prestigious event -- by losing all their matches with big margins.

"What I'm looking forward is winning games outside the country which is very important. Our home record is fairly good but outside home we have really struggled. I just hope in the next six months we get more away games against much better opponents so that we can test ourselves. What we are facing (in Asian Cup) are the best in Asia," Chhetri said.

The prolific striker's remarks make sense as India has done badly against the continent's top opponents away from home during the 2018 World Cup qualification campaign, which preceded the Asian Cup qualification rounds.

India had lost to Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and even to Guam in their away matches of the World Cup qualifiers. The Stephen Constantine-coached side won just two matches out of 10 World Cup qualifiers.

Chhetri, who turns 34 this August, does not agree with the view that India has got an easier group this time as compared to the 2011 edition where the country was clubbed with Asian powerhouses Australia and South Korea as well as Bahrain. This time, India has been grouped with UAE, Thailand and Bahrain.

"If you say it can be easier because we are doing well that can be a valid point. But we can't say it is UAE, Thailand and Bahrain and so it is easier. Only because we are not facing Australia and South Korea people think it's going to be easy. It is not," he said on the sidelines of an initiative by KIA Motors India to select two school children as official match ball carriers for the upcoming World Cup in Russia.

"UAE is ahead of us and they are playing at home. Thailand is the most improved side in Asia in the last six years. We played against Thailand in six-seven years ago and it was a 2-2 draw.

"They are competing with the best in Asia. Australia and Japan are finding difficult to beat Thailand."

Nonetheless, the star striker said his team "should look to take maximum points in their first match" if they they want to proceed further in the tournament. India play Thailand in their opening match on January 5 in Dubai.

Chhetri also said that the impressive run in the Asian Cup qualifying campaign will count for nothing in the main round. The impressive run had contributed to India returning to top 100 in rankings after a long time.