Former India football greats slam coach Koevermans

Former India football greats including Syed Nayeemuddin and Subhash Bhowmick slammed national team’s head coach Wim Koevermans after the humiliating 0-2 loss to Afghanistan in the final of the SAFF Cup. Six-time champions India were staring at a hat-trick of SAFF Cup titles but were completely outplayed by Afghanistan in the final on Wednesday. Former India coaches Nayeemuddin and Sukhwinder Singh were left shocked at India’s dismal performance in the tournament.

“When I was the coach, the team had beaten Maldives 5-1 in SAFF Cup final at the same venue in 1997. I cannot imagine that we had to see this day. In the last seven years, the federation has spent Rs. 7 crores on foreign coaches. I wish they had similar faith on Indian coaches as well,” he said.

Nayeemuddin said Koevermans should be sacked immediately and should be replaced with an Indian coach. “I feel Wim should resign immediately. The need of the hour is an Indian coach and he should get all the facilities given to a foreign coach,” he said. Sukhwinder lamented that SAFF Cup was the only tournament that India dominated, but that too is not the case now. “I am shocked with the result. The SAFF Cup was the only tournament where India were the dominating force. But I don’t think it will be the same anymore,” he said.