Sports
India has clear vision to get back into Asia top 10: coach Stimac
Coach looks forward to massive fan support for the Blue Tigers at the Asian Cup Qatar
December 28, 2023 | 11:33 PM
India is set to make its fifth appearance at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar that kicks off in less than a month. With the national team arriving in Doha tomorrow, Indian fans across the globe will be rooting for a roaring performance of the Blue Tigers at Asia’s biggest football tournament.This is the first time that India has qualified twice in a row for the continental championship since its debut in 1964 – a clear sign of the team’s steady progress in the recent years, under the tutelage of head coach Igor Stimac.The former Croatian national player was appointed as head coach of the Indian team in 2019. For Stimac, the past year alone has put the Indian football squad on the radar, following notable victories at the South Asian Football Federation Championship (SAFF) Championship, the Hero Intercontinental Cup and the Tri-Nation Series.Stimac now looks forward to India’s Asian Cup campaign in Qatar, hoping the squad will leave a strong impression in the competition. The tournament will be a key milestone for the Blue Tigers in their quest to reclaim a spot amongst Asia’s best as they get ready to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2026."Considering the setback we faced due to the pandemic for nearly two years, we have made amazing progress in our football philosophy. We have fulfilled our goals of qualifying for the Asian Cup in style and also winning various preparatory tournaments. We have a clear vision of how to get back into the top ten in Asia,” said Stimac.The Blue Tigers also took part in the Asian Cup in 2011, also hosted by Qatar. This time around, fans will be able to watch India play in FIFA World Cup stadiums for the first time.Stimac expects fans to attend in droves, knowing well that their presence in the stands would be valuable for the team, especially given the strong contenders India will face at the group stage. "Our group is challenging. Australia are one of the favourites; Uzbekistan is one of the best teams from the second pot; and Syria has a strong physical side. All teams have different football styles, but all three are technically and physically stronger than us,” he said."I just want our boys to believe in themselves and to enjoy the game. This will be an opportunity to gain more experience at Qatar’s beautiful World Cup stadiums. I am sure our fans will turn out in huge numbers to support the Blue Tigers and help them to reach the needed level of confidence,” he added.India will play its first match against Australia on January 13 at 2:30pm at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. Fans will be eager for the Blue Tigers to kick off their Asian Cup campaign, with all eyes on talismanic captain and veteran striker Sunil Chhetri, who holds the record for being the highest active goalscorer from Asia."Chhetri is unbelievable. It’s really important for our younger players to have such an inspirational figure as a captain. I hope Team India can make the nation proud by playing to the best of our abilities,” said Stimac.Stimac says his India’s recent win over Kuwait in the World Cup qualifiers ranks as "one of the most important wins in Indian football history”. "I say that,” he explained, "because it has put us in a position to stake a really strong claim for second place in our group. We know we need to keep winning, especially against Afghanistan and Kuwait, but we’ve given ourselves a real chance with that result. And to be honest, qualifying for the third round would be like winning the World Cup for us."Getting another ten games, five of which would be in India, would help enormously in building the football culture here and getting more Indian people attached to this game and this team. That’s why finishing second would be so important.”When the India’s campaign began with that 1-0 win in Kuwait City, some fans even began dreaming of more. Could India, they wondered, potentially target top spot and, then, qualification for a first-ever FIFA World Cup?But while Stimac’s natural instinct is to see the glass as half-full, it’s at the mention of this enthusiasm - and the subsequent 3-0 home loss to Qatar that dampened it – that his smile begins to fade. Optimism, he says, can only stretch so far before India’s harsh realities need to be confronted."Qualifying for a World Cup? Right now, that’s still far away for us,” he admitted. "Bridging the gap to Qatar and the other big teams in Asia is getting even tougher."There’s no doubt we’ve made progress as a team, but the speed we are progressing at is not fast enough to keep up with these teams. And I’m worried the gap will just keep getting bigger unless we take bigger steps in advancing football."You talk about Japan, Australia, South Korea, Iran, Qatar; these are teams with well-developed long-term programmes and projects. How are we going to compete with such teams? The reality is that, to have a chance, we need to make crucial decisions.”
December 28, 2023 | 11:33 PM