Indian males’s soccer workforce coach Igor Stimac (Credit: X)
Stimac expressed that nothing can be determined within the subsequent two video games towards Afghanistan and mentioned the Indian soccer workforce’s prospects of constructing a maiden look within the third spherical of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers can be put to the take a look at when the Blue Tigers tackle Kuwait and Qatar in June.
The outcomes towards Kuwait and Qatar in June would be the actual indicator of the Indian soccer workforce’s prospects of constructing a maiden look within the third spherical of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, head coach Igor Stimac mentioned on Wednesday.
India will tackle decrease-ranked Afghanistan of their second-spherical qualifying match right here on Thursday, and a win within the hill city will solely brighten their possibilities of progressing to the third spherical, one thing the Blue Tigers have by no means achieved.
“Each game is important from the aspect of self-confidence and rankings. But our priority and the final goal is to qualify for Round 3. There are various options to get there and obviously, nothing will be decided in the next two games. The matches in June against Kuwait and Qatar will tell us everything,” Stimac mentioned.
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This would be the fourth time in 5 years that India will face Afghanistan in an official match.
The two conferences within the World Cup Qualifiers in 2019 and 2021 ended 1-1 every, whereas India ran out 2-1 winners within the Asian Cup Qualifiers in 2022 in Kolkata, thanks to Sahal Abdul Samad’s added-time strike.
The Indians arrived right here on March 15 and have had 5 full coaching periods forward of the match, acclimatising to the circumstances within the mountain metropolis, which is 2,470 metres above sea degree.
“We have been training normally as usual. We came here earlier so the boys can adapt to the different climate in Abha, and things look okay at the moment,” mentioned the Croat.
Stimac’s counterpart and Afghanistan head coach Ashley Westwood is aware of Indian soccer all too properly, having coached Bengaluru FC, ATK, and RoundGlass Punjab FC.
He took cost of the Afghanistan nationwide workforce final November, proper earlier than the World Cup Qualifiers kicked off.
“Ashley knows most of our boys quite well and has been preparing his team for us since the Asian Cup,” mentioned Stimac.
“A few months back they had a camp in Abha to work on their game plan and played a friendly with a local team here. But we are sure they will be a much better side than what we have seen in their opening games,” he added.
India skipper Sunil Chhetri, who received two I-League titles and a Federation Cup taking part in below Westwood at Bengaluru FC, shared his ideas on the Afghanistan facet.
“They will play like a unit, they will be aggressive, they will know exactly what they have to do because that’s how Ashley Westwood is. But I think it’s more about us.
“We are here right in the corner of Saudi Arabia and we really have to bounce back after what happened in the Asian Cup. It’s not going to be easy. We have to turn up,” mentioned Chhetri.
With three factors and one win from two matches, India presently occupies the second place within the Group A pecking order.
Reigning Asian champions Qatar lead the Group A standings with six factors from two wins, whereas Kuwait are second with one win. Having misplaced each their video games up to now, Afghanistan are positioned final.
India’s away win towards Kuwait has put Igor Stimac’s workforce in a powerful place to progress additional within the qualification cycle, one thing the 117-ranked facet has by no means achieved.
Victories of their upcoming outings (away and residential) towards the 158-ranked Afghanistan will assist India purchase 9 factors and with Qatar anticipated to win their subsequent two matches towards Kuwait, the Blue Tigers have an actual probability of leaping to second place within the standings.
India defeated Kuwait (1-0) in Kuwait City of their opening match of the qualifiers, earlier than shedding to Qatar (0-3) in Bhubaneswar.
(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – PTI)
