India need to face top sides regularly: Chhetri
India must have regular competition against the continent's best if they are to have any hope of taking their game to another level, captain Sunil Chhetri said ahead of next month's Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
Since their last appearance at the Finals in Qatar in 2011, India have played only twice against a top-six Asian side when they were grouped with Iran for the World Cup qualifiers.
Chhetri, who will lead India in just their fourth appearance at the Finals, said they had to be given the chance to stretch themselves more.
"It's very, very important for us to keep playing against the giants - the UAEs, the Australias, the Korea Republics," Chhetri told fifa.com.
"It's one thing to do well against your neighbours and, without demeaning any one of them, it's a different thing when you go out and play the giants of Asia."
Cricket-loving India has a population of 1.3 billion, but it is a massive underachiever as far as football is concerned. The national team are 97th in the Fifa rankings and yet to make an appearance at the World Cup Finals.
The Asian Football Confederation's decision to increase the number of finalists at the Asian Cup to 24 teams from 16 has helped the country return to the tournament.
India are in Group A alongside hosts UAE, Bahrain and Thailand for the Jan 5-Feb 1 tournament. - REUTERS
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