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'India Still Far From FIFA WC Qualification Despite Expanded Slots': Bhaichung Bhutia
FIFA World Cup: Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia believes Indian football remains some distance away from qualifying for the FIFA World Cup despite Asia receiving an unprecedented eight direct qualification spots due to the expanded tournament, saying the national team still has plenty of ground to cover to match the continent's leading nations.
Speaking on the progress of Asian football during the ongoing FIFA World Cup, Bhutia said the expansion of Asian qualification berths is a welcome development, but cautioned that India is not yet ready to capitalise on the opportunity.
"I think Asian countries this year have increased the number of quotas to eight teams from four, which is a very positive sign. But I think India still is quite far away in terms of qualifying within that eight-team quota as well," Bhutia, who is part of the expert panel for ZEE5’s FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage, told IANS in an exclusive conversation.
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