Fukuoka [Japan], July 16 (ANI): Former Indian footballer and Bengaluru FC youth coach Renedy Singh stressed on developing a “fooballing culture” within the nation to re-establish themselves as Asian power in football and eventually book their first-ever FIFA World Cup qualification.
Renedy 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.
Speaking to ANI about how India, which failed to qualify for 2027 Asian Cup and has never made it to the World Cup, could make strides in football world, Renedy said, “For that, we have to create a footballing culture first. How many schools have a football ground? We need to create a football culture first, then the rest will follow by itself.”
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.
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.
After a 3-2 win over Giravantz Kitakyushu in their first match of the RFDL exposure tour to Japan, Bengaluru FC will be playing Sagan Tosu under-18 side on Friday. The team had a training session on Thursday before the game.
On gearing up for the next challenge, Renedy, who played for India from 1998-2012, said that Japanese teams are a tough opponent and it was a “great test” to secure a win and that too while coming back from a deficit.
“Thanks to RFDL for creating this platform to showcase our skills. As we all know, we have played against Japan on the under-19 side and senior side. They have been a tough opponent. We always struggle against them. So it was a good test for us to come here and play our first match,” he said.
“Yes, it was 3-2 that we won, but it was a difficult one. We are going to face a tough opponent… We have to prepare well. Today, we had a good session, and tomorrow we will give our best. We will fight it out, and let’s see how it goes,” he signed off. (ANI)
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