Igor Stimac, the Indian football team’s coach, said on Sunday that the next FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Kuwait might “change the careers” of his players and be a “huge game”.
Igor Stimac, the Indian football team’s coach, said on Sunday that the next FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Kuwait might “change the careers” of his players and be a “huge game”. India will face Kuwait at the Salt Lake Stadium in their penultimate second-round game, followed by an away match against Qatar on June 11. Despite a surprise loss to lower-ranked Afghanistan in the home leg encounter in Guwahati in March, India can still make its first appearance in the third round of qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
It’s a big game. This game has the potential to transform the boys’ careers. “I want them to enjoy the game and give their all,” Stimac told the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
India, which dropped to 121 in the FIFA rankings after earning only one point in two matches against Afghanistan in March, will want to put on a far stronger performance against Kuwait in what will also be talisman Sunil Chhetri’s goodbye to international football.
“For such a significant game, we need to accomplish a few things: strength conditioning, understanding what it requires, the importance of the game, and mental strength and self-confidence.
“So, we work on all aspects needed for our boys to be on top of their form in this game.” The head coach went on to say, “There are two major factors in our preparations for this game. First, winning the game is critical. And to achieve that goal, we must be really brilliant. We need to learn that patience is required in the game.
“If we do not open the scoring inside the first half hour, we must be intelligent and play great football with pace. All of these factors are critical, and we must prepare for them. The Blue Tigers have gone six games without a win and scored only one goal.
Over the last year, India has met Kuwait three times. It includes a tiebreaker victory in the SAFF Championship final held in Bangalore.
“Each of those matches was very tough and I can clearly state that we controlled all those games in superb ways,” stated Stimac.
