By Sahil Kohli

Fukuoka [Japan], July 15 (ANI): Former Indian footballer and current FC Goa youth coach Israil Gurung said that before aiming for FIFA World Cup, Team India should aim at becoming a consistent presence on Asian Cup level and also urged all stakeholders involved to 'keep individual ego aside' for the betterment of sport in the country.

Israil spoke to ANI in Fukuoka, Japan, where his team has gone for Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL) exposure tour.

RFDL exposure tour to Japan is from July 11-23, under which top three Indian clubs from RFDL season 2025-26 are competing against their top-level J-League counterparts. Bengaluru FC, FC Goa and Punjab FC, occupying positions one to three respectively, are representing the nation's flag in Japan.

Despite all the work done by private entities and the All India Football Federation (AIFF), a qualification to FIFA WC looks like a distant dream, considering that Team India is not a regular Asian Cup presence, having not qualified for 2027 edition. India has participated only in five editions of the tournament, with the last one back in 2023. Except for a runners-up finish in their debut back in 1964, team's other campaigns have been group stage exits.

Speaking to ANI, Israil said, 'If you ask me honestly, this is the question that people start to raise, people start to shout every after four years. But what kind of work we do? Now, as soon as this World Cup gets over, for the next four years, are we ready to work in a certain, in a positive way? This is my big question.'

'I am not worried about the World Cup, you know. I want to see India playing at the Asian level continuously. And also, the saddest part is now, before India used to dominate among the SAFF teams hands down. But now, if you can see, we started struggling. There is something wrong going on, you know.'

'So, I feel like, you know, keeping individuals' ego aside, this will come together. Look for the betterment of the football. I think that is the saddest part, that it is going very slow,' he signed off.

Their recent results against other Asian/smaller teams like Maldives, Tajikistan, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Singapore etc have also been weak. In 2024, India failed to buy themselves a win for 11 straight matches, with India breaking the streak with a 3-0 win over Maldives back in March 2025. In 2025, India did manage three wins in 11 matches and a CAFA Nations Cup bronze, but overall results were still far from impressive. The uncertainty over start of Indian Super League (ISL), which initially did not find any takers, troubled the footballers' livelihood and game. The ISL's latest season eventually kicked off in February this year.

This year, India started off with a win over Hong Kong, but faced defeats to Jamaica, Zimbabwe, Tajikistan in their coming matches.

The highly inconsistent run of results have seen quick changing of coaches, with Igor Stimac leaving the post in 2024 and Manolo Marquez, famed for his exploits in Indian Super League (ISL), also leaving the post after being one year in charge last year. In August last year, Khalid Jamil was appointed as men's national team coach. (ANI)