AFC Asian Cup 2024: 'India Grown As Team And As Unit, Need To Keep Playing At This Level' Says Nikhil Poojary

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AFC Asian Cup 2024 will put the Indian team to the test after playing some good football over the last one year and Nikhil Poojary is among those players, who have stood out during the tenure. The 28-year-old right-back feels the tournament in Qatar is an opportunity to test their level after all the hard work done.

Formerly a winger, Nikhil Poojary, who broke into the national team after excelling at his new position at Hyderabad FC, said he has enjoyed the last one year a lot winning titles such as the Intercontinental Cup, SAFF Championships and a memorable victory over Kuwait at their den.

"Last year was very important for me, and for us as a team. We have played so many matches together, won and lost together, we have grown as a team and as a unit," he told aiff.com. "Personally, I have really enjoyed this time, and I just want to keep playing at this level for as long as I can."

It's a tough job to find a spot in the Indian Football Team. Perhaps nobody has had it tougher in recent times than Nikhil Poojary, whose career has been mired by injuries and omissions, just when things looked like they were beginning to get better.

While an ACL injury in 2017 right after his first call-up to the National Team slowed his progress, eventually leading to him not being on the flight to UAE for the AFC Asian Cup 2019, a call-up to the national squad later that year would end unsatisfactorily in Qatar, where he would be substituted off in India's famous stalemate against the hosts in the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifier.

Poojary would not resurface in the international arena for another four years, when he was finally called back for the Intercontinental Cup, followed by the SAFF Championship. The winger-turned-fullback, however, has grabbed the opportunity and produced performances that have merited his spot in the 2023 edition of the AFC Asian Cup.

"People just see the international level, but there are so many battles one has to fight, just to be there. You need to go through so many steps to make your comeback," said Poojary to the-aiff.com. "You battle injuries, you battle form, you have your battles at your club at the domestic level, and if these were not enough, you have to battle your internal demons as well.

Nikhil Poojary, who has earned rave reviews from coach Igor Stimac for settling in well in the national team quickly, is among the front runners to make his debut at the AFC Asian Cup 2024 with as many as 17 players featuring in the tournament for the first time. Poojary said it's going to be a special moment for all of them as the event is like a mini World Cup to them.

"It's going to be special, especially for those like me, who will make their Asian Cup debuts here. It's like a mini World Cup for us," he said. "All the top teams and players from Asia will be here, so it will be a good opportunity for us to test our levels. I am very thankful to the coaches for showing their trust and support in me," he said.

India play their first match of the AFC Asian Cup 2024 against Australia on January 13, followed by Uzbekistan (January 18) and Syria (January 23).