Down the memory lane: India's AFC Youth Championship triumph in 1974

The prelude and the outcome to the 1974 AFC Youth Championship are very similar to the 1962 Asian Games wherein India defied all odds and won the gold medal.

Like their predecessors, the India colts in 1974 were initially not allowed to take part in the competition by the Indian government as the country’s performance at the continental level wasn’t satisfactory post the triumph in 1962.

However, after much persuasion by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the Indian team lead by Shabbir Ali boarded the plane to Bangkok.

The team trained at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS) ground in Patiala under the tutelage of Syed Abdus Salaam and Arun Ghosh before heading to Thailand but the expectations from the team were very less.

India were clubbed in Group B alongside Hong Kong, Burma and Laos. Like India, Burma too had enjoyed a lot of success at the continental level during the 1960s and were thus one of the strongest oppositions in that group.

India began their journey with a difficult 1-0 win over Laos where skipper Shabbir Ali found the back of the net. The first match of the competition was always going to be tough considering the pressure the team was under. In an evenly poised tie, it was Ali who made the difference.

The second match was against a formidable Burma side but India fought toe-to-toe and picked up a narrow 1-0 win once again courtesy a Shabbir Ali strike.

In the final group match, India managed to hold Hong Kong to a 2-2 draw thanks to a brace from Mohammed Yakoob. The result helped India top the group stage with seven points from three matches.

The first knock-out fixture saw India locking horns against Singapore. Shabbir Ali once again rose to the occasion and scored an equaliser for India to take the game to a tie-breaker. Former Mohun Bagan custodian, late Prasanta Mitra proved to be the hero in the shootout as India won 4-1.

The semi-final tie was arguably the toughest match of the tournament for the Indian side as they faced hosts and tournament favourites Thailand. Thailand qualified for the semis by scoring 13 goals in four matches. They had even beaten continental powerhouse Japan in the group stage.

Recollecting the memories from the tournament, Shabbir Ali told Goal, “Nobody expected anything from us as Thailand were the hot favourites. In the group stage, they beat Japan and scored 11 goals in total and then they beat Malaysia in the quarterfinal and they scored two goals without conceding.

"The whole stadium was supporting Thailand and only a handful of Indians were present to cheer for us. But we rose to the occasion and the entire team played well. There was Prasanta (Mitra) in the back, Prasun (Banerjee) who was the vice-captain in the midfield and in the forward line (Mohammed) Yakoob right-out, Syed Latifuddin left-out and in the centre Harjinder and me. We somehow managed to beat them 2-1 and progress to the final."

Reminiscing the joyous moments of the grand finale, Ali said, “In the final too no one thought we could win and as if was a cakewalk for Iran who was on the back of beating South Korea 3-0 in the semifinal.

“On our way to the stadium, we saw the Iran team rejoicing as if they had won the trophy. We took it as an insult. Our coaches also told us that we have to respond back on the field.”

The final was not at all a one-sided affair as many would have thought considering India were the underdogs. The colts in Blue played their hearts out against the giants and managed a 2-2 draw. In fact, it was Iran who had restored parity in the match just a minute before the final whistle which stopped India from being crowned solo champions.

It was on this day 46 years ago that history was made in Bangkok as India against all odds were once again crowned the champions of Asia after 1962. Even though it was at the youth level, it was no mean feat.