Yes, let us win the pool itself with one more win. The group-A runner-up also doesn't have a great final-16, because it is against the runner-up of Group C, where KOR and CHN are the top two teams (probably CHN or KYR should finish runners-up there). Win the pool and we get the third place team from groups C, D or E.
He has absolutely done a fantastic job. He should've been never let go. Back in 2002-2005, he took an Indian team that had fallen from top-100 to top-125 over some 5-10 years, stopped the bleeding and kept us at that ranking for 3-4 years. He left, and we started dropping again - down to #160 within a year. Over a decade later, we were still below 160. He came back and we roared back up again.Let's recognize Constantine again. He was let go and then came back. He has served Indian football well for a long time. Did Koevermans have any hand with any of the juniors?
The Indian media/press and football "analysts" don't like him, because he doesn't get too pally with them, and so he takes unnecessary criticism on all kinds of things. But the man has been doing his job, and he takes responsibility for his own decisions on team selection etc. In my opinion, he has picked the right guys, and has simply gone with whoever he thinks has the ability, staying away from regional biases about the Northeast and Goa and all that.