Trust is a rare commodity in football. Often the backbone of any champion side, the absence of trust can also be crippling for any team attempting to win. India’s 2-0 victory over Nepal (Sunil Chhetri 61′, Naorem Mahesh Singh 70′) at the 2023 SAFF Championships was simply, a measure of the team’s trust in itself, that of the fans and of the coaching staff as well.

With Mahesh Gawli (India’s stand-in coach as Igor Stimac watched from the sidelines) making eight changes to the starting XI that defeated Pakistan 4-0 a few days ago, a bit of disjointed football was to be expected. It turned out to be even worse.

For 45 minutes, India looked uninspired, drab and often-times second best to a Nepal side that brought their best to the table. Gawli admitted as much after the game, saying, “I think in the first half, Nepal did not give us a chance to play. They were very tough.”

India’s Blue Tigers were reduced to whimpering kittens as their Nepalese opponents hounded them at every turn, resulting in skittish turnovers and panicked clearances. That lack of trust in each other crystallised by Sahal Abdul Samad ruining a 3-on-1 counter-attack in the first half by holding onto the ball a bit too long.

Yet, the coaching staff remained patient as ever — Gawli’s half-time team talk just consisting of asking his charges to remain “calm and cool” and “not make errors.” Quite the contrast from the hairdryer treatment Stimac handed his side in the Intercontinental Cup victory a week ago. Curiously enough, this had a similar effect. India were a changed side in the second period with confidence in each other gradually growing, right until the 61st minute when it reached a crescendo with the opening goal.

It was a study in the amount of trust footballers put in each other. First, Mahesh exchanged a quick 1-2 with Sahal down the left wing, the idea would seem absurd to anyone who’d witnessed Sahal’s first half performance. However, instead of holding on to the ball, India’s #10 responded with a one-touch pass to Mahesh reminiscent of the best proponents of the famed shirt. Mahesh, for his part, had trusted Sahal with the return the moment the ball left his boot and dashed down the left, receiving the ball in plenty of space that allowed him to weigh up his options.

Sunil Chhetri, hovering on the edge of the box as Mahesh received the ball, then indulged in textbook centre-forward play. Making a decoy movement towards the near post, he then ran onto the blind side of the hitherto excellent Rohit Chand, Chhetri betting big on Mahesh sending in an inch-perfect cross right on the penalty spot. It duly arrived, the instep of Chhetri’s right boot opened up, and goal no. 91 was steered into the bottom corner.

“Every time he scores, it relaxes us,” were Jeakson’s thoughts on his inspirational captain after the game, and it seemed to be a sentiment shared with the crowd.

The Kanteerava, which had been eclipsing Disturbed’s cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Sound of Silence’ until then, erupted in its favourite chant. Three touches of the ball from three different players, and the crowd had its faith restored in the players. The 12,642 now making a noise that rivalled that of the capacity crowd from Wednesday’s win over Pakistan.

It saw Nepal’s young side wilt, with coach Vincenzo Annese stating as much after the game. The Italian bemoaned the half-time injury to Anjan Bista, and thus having to place his trust in young, albeit talented players who had lacked the requisite experience. Annese was at pains to point out the little time he’d had with the squad in preparation and that most of his charges play three months of football as opposed to the ten months their Indian counterparts do.

That naivete was evident after Jeakson Singh and Lallianzuala Chhangte came on in the 63rd minute and proceeded to dominate the ball. A flashpoint of frustration saw Nepal’s tempers boil over in a brawl a few minutes later, and they were caught upfield in the 70th minute as India finished the game with a counter-attack. Mahesh, an “excellent talent, future star for Indian football” in Gawli’s words, was on hand to bundle ball over the line for his first international goal after Chhetri’s effort deflected off the crossbar into his path.

The victory now sealed, India proceeded to continue to press on in their intensity, with Gawli noting this was by design, to not take the foot off the pedal and “keep the intensity the same.” A bit easier to do with the fresh legs that come courtesy the eight changes made – barring Chhetri, of course. “We wanted to give him rest, but he doesn’t want to take rest. He always wants to play,” laughed Gawli.

On paper, a victory over 174-ranked Nepal isn’t much to crow about. Tougher tests await in the form of Kuwait, who were hugely impressive in their two wins so far. For Igor Stimac though, he can rest easy in the knowledge that he now has a group of circa 20 players that he can rely on. With tournament football coming thick and fast, the luxury of being able to rotate can pay off in the latter stages. Stimac himself, appears to be far more bullish of India’s chances with each passing day — in no small part due to India’s backup players repaying the trust put in them.

Trust is flowing all through Indian football at the moment, where before an Indian crowd would have voiced their frustration after a poor first half, there now is the assurance that this group of players can turn things around after the interval, as they’ve done multiple times in recent memory. A night that threatened to undermine all the goodwill that Stimac’s side have generated this year, was seen off with the most matter-of-fact calm due to trust in one another, the backbone of a champion side.