'I see Indian football doing extremely well in five years': Ex-Qatar footballer Saud Ghanim | Exclusive

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The Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar was glittering in light but the team who shone the brightest was Qatar. It was the 47th minute and Almoez Ali just doubled the visitors' lead, amid that, a man was sitting on the bench and beaming with a smile.

Saud Ghanim, the former Qatar footballer was at the stadium to watch his nation against India. And amidst the bustle of the Kalinga Stadium, he managed to find time for an exclusive chat with MyKhel.

Saud is a 14-time Qatar international and now works as a broadcaster for a Qatari channel. In his exclusive chat, the former Qatar star opened up on how things have changed in Qatar football and many more, but one thing which has struck him the most is how India has evolved in football.

The rise of Qatar football and India pleasantries

"This is my first time in India. I like the stadium and the atmosphere is excellent. But for India, what we knew was Cricket, but now the football is growing step by step. Players have good technique and are playing well. So yes, I am loving my experience here," Ghanim said.

Qatar have become a powerhouse in Asian football. They are the current Asian champions and hosted the World Cup in 2022. Speaking on the development of football in his country, Ghanim says it was a long process which is bearing fruits now.

"In the last five years, football has grown in a greater way in Qatar. But it didn't start just. It started a long time ago and we were preparing for the World Cup for two decades. But now the players are much better and we are now among the top five nations in football," Ghanim said.

Mentality change helped football in Qatar

Football in the Middle Eastern countries has taken another step in the last few years, but Ghanem revealed a cultural shift which has further enhanced the sport in Qatar. It has become much more accepted in the households of Qatar, which was not the case in the previous century.

"The football has changed massively in Qatar. Now things are different. Earlier, the family would tell a kid 'don't play, stay at home'. But now the mentality has changed and parents encourage kids to play, which is big for the players and that change has also catalyzed the rise of our league and national team."

Speaking of the current players, Ghanim says Hassan Al-Haydos, Akram Afif, Almoez Ali as the standout players in his country. Last time, Qatar's qualification was automatic as hosts, but Ghanem believes they can qualify for the next edition as well.

"We are optimistic. Under Carlos Queiroz, we have done a lot of good work. Hopefully, we can win the Asian Cup just like we did in 2019," a very confident Ghanim asserted.

Hopeful for Indian Football

The Blue Tigers have gone toe to toe with some of the Asian giants and will be doing the same in the future. Despite India's loss, Saud says he sees a lot of positive things brewing in Indian football and says Indian football will bloom in the coming five years.

"I see India doing really well in five years. There are so many Asian teams doing well. But you have to be patient, you saw what they did in the last match against Kuwait (India's 1-0 away win over Kuwait), so you have to wait three or four years to see this team becoming a strong one."

Saud retired from football in 2012, but he is still involved actively in football. The former player's son is also taking in the footsteps of his father and is in the junior team of Al Rayyan, another club in Qatar.