Former soccer captains see the alchemist in Houghton

New Delhi, June 12 (UNI) As India fancies a World Cup finals appearance in 2010, a number of former football captains believe the newly appointed coach Bob Houghton can be the alchemist who will turn dream into reality.

Prasun Banerjee did his coaching B licence under the 58-year-old Englishman and he has no doubt that the All India Football Federation has headhunted the right guy.

''You can hardly have a better person than Houghton to coach a team like us. Have no illusion, he can't turn the current national team into a world-beater overnight. But he is an excellent coach, especially for the youngsters. He has a thinking head on his shoulder and can mingle with the youngsters and that's a huge positive,'' he told UNI.

India's experiment with foreign coaches has not been too successful -- Stephen Constantine being the latest instance -- but Prasun feels Houghton is not just another coach.

''The problem with Constantine was that he was a ruthless guy who hardly understood the cultural difference and was a bull-head,'' said Prasun, who was selector during Constantine's tenure and had serious difference with him.

''On the contrary, I know Houghton since 1995 and he has managed Asian teams like China, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia with distinction.

He is the ideal person to work with the under-16 boys and he would have to play an instrumental role if we are to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. We should give him the time and reserve our comments,'' he said.

''I heard (Salgaocar coach) Savio Madeira is likely to be attached to Houghton. This couldn't have been better because you always need an Indian to assist a foreigner,'' Prasun added.

He, however, did not sound too optimistic about AIFF's World Cup 2010 Project but felt even if India fails to meet the deadline, 2014 is always a possibility.

Prasun's citymate and fellow Indian captain Prasanta Banerjee also reposed faith in Houghton and thanked AIFF for its ''long-term'' approach.

''Finally, it seems, we have dared to dream about World Cup and I feel Houghton is just the right person for the 2010 Project,'' he told UNI.

''Those you see in the current national team can't improve beyond a point and at this level, you can't mould them either. So, you are left with the youngsters and whatever I heard about Houghton, I think there you have a guy who can deliver the goods,'' said the former player who led India to SAF Games Gold in 1985 and under him, the team reached the semifinals in the Mardeka Cup the same year.

Olympian and former captain Chuni Goswami, who was recently in the capital, also expressed hopes for a revival of Indian soccer under the new coach.

''We had our days of glory in the past but somehow we could not make it to the World Cup. We won Asian Games couple of times -- including one under my captaincy -- but World Cup remained out of reach.

''Now we have roped in a well known British coach for the national team and I hope under him, we would finally break the duck in 2010,'' he said.

UNI AY MA DS1210