Last Updated: November 22, 2023, 09:10 IST
India went down 0-3 to Qatar (AIFF Photo)
Indian males’s soccer group head coach Igor Stimac identified that Qatar are far superior aspect and play at a ‘totally different degree’.
Eyebrows have been raised when Igor Stimac named modifications to his aspect that opened their FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Joint Qualification marketing campaign with a victory towards Kuwait. The Indian males’s soccer group went on to undergo a disappointing 0-3 defeat to Qatar on the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday.
“The result was not my priority today. There were some questions which were haunting me for some time. And as you already know, when we’re not having any more games prior to the game against Australia, I have all my answers and due to this huge remount of this game, I have a clearer picture and clarity of what needs to be done and who are the players who can go there,” Igor Stimac clarified on the submit-match press convention.
Stimac additionally identified that Qatar are far superior aspect and performs at a ‘different level’.
“The game was what it was. Qatar were the better team. The physicality and the basic skill, the passing quality, final-third execution, it’s all there. They like to get behind you and put good crosses. It’s really difficult to play against them but I appreciate our boys’ commitment,” Igor mentioned.
“And that’s something which we need to take out from today’s game. Very positive thing – when you go down early in the game against Qatar, you need to fear a heavy defeat. That’s part of the learning process. And it’s a good lesson for us today – against a team like this, you cannot give away anything. Maybe we had too much respect for them,” he added.
Amrinder Over Gurpreet?
One of the extra noteworthy modifications was bringing in Amrinder Singh rather than Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.
Igor Stimac defined his determination: “We all know that Gurpreet had two fantastic games against Qatar. He’s our first-choice goalkeeper. We don’t have any doubt about that. But you know why he’s our first-choice goalkeeper? Because Amrinder is always pushing him. Did you ask yourself why Gurpreet’s form in the national team is so different from his club form? Because he’s got Amrinder here, who is disciplined, committed, with hunger, with patience, waiting for his chance and working hard.”
“And whenever he gets the chance, he’s there for us. And this game today was credit to him. To his discipline, to his patience, to his commitment, to his loyalty to the national team shirts and to providing to us the best good Gurpreet we can get,” he added.
Most of the modifications within the line-up have been prompted, Igor defined, to give his gamers one final probability to impress. “Some questions needed answering,” he mentioned.
Even although the outcome was not his prerogative towards Qatar, Stimac prioritised the World Cup qualifiers over the AFC Asian Cup.
“Knowing that we’re not gonna get enough time for the Asian Cup, I don’t consider the Asian Cup such an important tournament for us. And I don’t want my players to get injured,” Stimac mentioned.
“I need to make sure that we get enough points in our group for the World Cup qualifiers. So we make sure that we have another five to six home games in the third round here. And that will be a huge benefit for Indian football for the future. I was very clear that if you’ll give me time, I might show results, but without the time, don’t ask about results. I will go there with pride to represent India with our boys, but 12-13 days are nothing to prepare for the Asian Cup,” he added.
As issues stand, India slipped down to third of their FIFA World Cup qualifiers, after Kuwait defeated Afghanistan 4-0 within the different match. India will resume their qualifying marketing campaign after the top of the AFC Asian Cup, to be held in Qatar subsequent January.
