Speaking ahead of the team's departure for Buriram, he played down the occasion, saying: “I never think about the 100+ games or the number of goals I have scored.

"I feel proud though when people around me keep reminding me that every record is in your name, and here we are talking about a country’s history. For someone who never even dreamt of playing for his country, or even of making it professionally, it’s unbelievable.”

India have enjoyed success in recent times and won many admirers for their performance in the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 and expectations are for the team to continue building on that, especially with the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar Qualifiers to kick off soon

In former international Stimac, India have a head coach who has enjoyed success both as a player and a coach and he shares his thoughts and aspirations in an interview with the-AFC.com.

Guam are about to get a short sharp taste of that next week when they open their 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar Qualifiers, as Round 1 action kicks off on Thursday. The remote northern Pacific island nation was drawn against Bhutan in April, and it soon became apparent that the football contest is just one part of the challenge.

Guam will leave the cloying humidity of their tropical homeland behind and head for the kingdom perched high up in the Himalayas. There they will find a unique almost magical place, with its distinctive Changlimithang stadium a fitting display of local traditional design.

However, Spanish coach Felix Sanchez is not so easily pigeon-holed, having followed a somewhat different path. He first came to Qatar in 2006 to work as a trainer at Aspire Academy, with the task of identifying and developing young talent.

Two Team Melli veterans has been left out of the Belgian’s list, Ashkan Dejagah and Saman Ghoddos.

Both played vital roles in assisting Iran to a semi-final finish in the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 last January.

Yoshida was a former professional footballer for J.League club Kashiwa Reysol from 1993 to 1996, before moving to Kyoto Purple Sanga for two years. In 1999, he had a stint with Montedio Yamagata.

The 44-year-old coach is no stranger to Singapore, as he spent a short time playing for Jurong FC in 2002, before suffering an injury-ending career, thus shifting his focus to coaching.

Wilmots, a former Belgium international and head coach, will lead Asia’s top ranked team with the aim of competing in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

His first task will be to prepare Team Melli for international friendly matches against Korea Republic and Syria next month.