Stimac: India players in key roles in ISL teams good for nat’l squad
Team in tough WC qualifier group, need to approach game by game, says head coach
Igor Stimac (PTI)
NEW DELHI: In the not-so-distant past, Indian football fans erupted in euphoria when India triumphed in a thrilling showdown against Kuwait during the SAFF Championship final in July 2023. The Blue Tigers clashed with Kuwait not once, but twice – the first bout ended in a tense draw, and it culminated in a heart-pounding penalty shootout victory during the finals in the electric atmosphere of Bangalore.
India is slated to play Kuwait in its den on November 16, which carries the weight of destiny, a clash in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2. If we look at the statistics, India has emerged victorious against Kuwait on their home turf only once in a friendly match by 3-2 in 2004. However, there’s hope that this time, the tides might finally change, and the country could witness results that will be etched into history books.
The anticipation of playing two matches against Kuwait and Qatar in the World Cup qualifier matches is exciting and head coach Igor Stimac hasn’t held back in sharing his views on the upcoming showdown and the preparations with AIFF.
It is almost the end of the year and India will be playing its World Cup qualifiers in the coming week, speaking about it Igor Stimac said, “Yes, we have entered the new phase of our work, and we know it’s going to be very hard and difficult on the boys. We are very optimistic about what’s ahead of us.
“We know that the next few months until March will be very difficult. We might face some problems during this process. But we are very optimistic then that once the players, who are missing now, are back, we will become solid again and show strength on the pitch, no matter who we play against.”
One of the primary aspects India will be looking to improve at the moment is how to replace Ashique Kuruniyan, Anwar Ali who wouldn’t be available for the National team after picking up injuries with their clubs.
“They were our strength in the latest successes we had. These boys played very good football; they were adding extra value to the whole team,” Stimac added.
“We need to find a way to make a new composition to balance the team which will provide strength, especially at the back because we started conceding some goals, which I did not like lately, although some of the goals came after very poor refereeing decisions.” Stimac said discussing the team’s balance at this time.
Speaking about the group that India’s been pitted in, Stimac said, “Yes, the group is very tough and challenging because we know there will be no easy opponents, and they are the top teams. So apart from that, from the third pot we got by far the best opponents available (Kuwait). So, the group is tough at the moment, but we need to approach it game by game and prepare for it. And as far as I’m concerned and with my experience in football, November to March will be difficult.”
