LG Cup win against Vietnam was very special, recalls Mahesh Gawali

Mahesh Gawali, the legendary centre-back from the early years of the 21st century, was only 22 when he travelled with the National Team to play the 2002 LG Cup in Vietnam. Twenty years later, the fans still recall the momentous occasion when a young Indian team shocked hosts Vietnam 3-1 in the final to win the trophy, India’s first major continental conquest since the Pesta Sukan meet in 1971.
Now the assistant coach of the National Team, Gawali, 42, felt truly nostalgic on the eve of leaving for Vietnam to play Hung Thinh Friendly Football Tournament from September 24-27, where India will take on Singapore and Vietnam. He has fond memories of the LG Cup, especially the final, when Indiacame back from a two-goal deficit to prevail over the hosts in a stunning manner.
“We played a great match against Vietnam in the final. We won the match and the tournament which was surely a great occasion in the history of Indian Football”, Gawali recalled before leaving for Vietnam from Kolkata. “Beating Vietnam in their backyard surely gave a different feeling altogether. It was our first international title triumph after 1971, apart from regional tournaments like the SAF Games and the SAFF Cup. Now that I am going to Vietnam as the assistant coach, I once again want to return home victorious. I am confident the boys will put up a great show in the next two matches”, Gawali said.
A veteran of many a battle during his playing days, Gawali said: “Vietnam are a good team and they are strong side both mentally and physically. As it is,playing against the hosts is always a challenge. But we are fully confident of beating them”. In his professional career spanning over 17 years, the former India defender had won almost every major trophy in the domestic circuit and spent a dozen glorious years with the National Team. After hanging up his boots in 2015, Gawali took up coaching. Having been selected the assistant coach of the Blue Tigers last year Gawali feels there is a huge difference between being a player and a coach.