October 1st, 2018.
At the end of final whistle at the Petaling Jaya Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia that night, a few players from the Indian football team couldn’t hide their tears after going down 0-1 to South Korea in the AFC U-16 Championships.
Why wouldn’t they be dejected after all? India had made it to the quarter-finals after 16 long years and needing a win to qualify for the Fifa U-17 World Cup in Peru, the boys saw their chance slip right through their hands.
Throughout the tournament, India had not conceded a single goal in over 330 minutes of play but the only that they let in was enough to shatter their dreams.
While some of his players were inconsolable that evening, coach Bibiano Fernandes walked with his head held high. A defeat of such manner was tough to digest but Bibiano lauded his boys for the fight they had put up the entire tournament. As he put it in his own words, India had “showed the world what they’re capable of” but that defeat served him a reminder that there was still a long way to go.
“The biggest takeaway from that defeat was that we got a clear idea of where we were lacking and the aspects we could improve. The boys did extremely well but to make the step up to the elite level. There are just a few more things we need to tweak and we hope we can do that this time,” he told Scroll.in.
In modern football, results are often considered a valuable parameter to measure success. What matters for Bibiano though is showing character.
“Winning and losing are a part and parcel of the game. I emphasise on making winning a habit, but then I don’t mind if we go onto lose a game in spite of putting your 100 per cent effort and playing quality football. We learn from our failures and try to bounce back the very next game. That is the attitude I want my players to have as well,” the former Sporting Clube de Goa midfielder explained.
This year there is another opportunity for Bibiano to ease last season’s heartbreak. With the upcoming World Qualifiers for the AFC U-16 Championships set to take place in September, India has been clubbed alongside hosts Uzbekistan, Bahrain and Turkmenistan in Group B. The draw is tough but Bibiano has full faith.
“Yes, it is a tough draw but we firmly believe the current set of boys can first repeat the feat achieved by the previous batch by qualifying for the AFC Championship, and then go one step further and qualify for the World Cup as well. That’s the target,” he said.
Taking over the reins since 2016, Bibiano’s success has been largely down to his tactics. With a focus on keeping the defense compact, his philosophy places a lot of importance on creating chances, keeping the ball and pressing high.
“Football, these days, is so much about how you handle pressure as well as adapt to a number of systems. Especially at the highest level, you need to have that mental strength to keep yourself composed even under tough and tricky situations.
“We have been trying to instill these qualities in our players from the time the new team formed in March and I guess we have succeeded in doing so, with the boys proving several times that are capable of handling the pressure of tough opponents as well as adapting to tactical changes in between the games,” he said.
At an age where players come under pressure of committing mistakes on the field, Bibiano has managed to unlock their potential and bring about maturity. Six boys from last season’s team played for Indian Arrows in the I-League and he attributes the growth to the multiple exposure tours that have taken place over the years.
“I have been fortunate to work with a lot of players with amazing potential and with most of the players coming in after having played a considerable number of matches in the U13 and U15 I-League, there is a bit of maturity already as well. Once in the camp, these qualities are improved mainly with matches. Playing especially against tougher opponents makes the players believe in themselves and helps them improve both with their game as well as mentally,” the 41-year-old said.
Executing a plan is one facet and making players aware of that is another, the latter which Bibiano has found most challenging in his coaching career so far. But for him, patience remains key in the process.
“One major challenge that I have faced with coaching young players is communicating my vision to the players. A lot of players that come into the camp, neither speak Hindi nor English and then sometimes it is difficult for them to understand what exactly are we trying to convey. But it’s something you can tackle with a bit of patience. And it’s even easier when the boys take interest in knowing what you are saying. Having a rapport with the players is important,” he added.
Bibiano has built a strong foundation so far at the U-16 level and the signs have looked promising. Having made rapid strides, it’s safe to say the future of Indian football is in good hands.