AFC Asian Cup qualifiers: India coach Igor Stimac’s moment of reckoning is here-Sports News , Firstpost

Indian football team coach Igor Stimac and Sunil Chhetri. Image: AIFF Media

Let’s not beat around the bush, Indian football team coach Igor Stimac’s moment of reckoning is here. The Blue Tigers open their 2023 AFC Asian Cup final round qualifiers campaign on Wednesday and will be playing three matches in total as they aim to get to the finals of the continental showpiece event for the fifth time in history. And for the first time in consecutive editions, having featured in 2019.

The impression would be that the writer is being harsh by putting the focus on the coach when India haven’t really written golden words about them in the tournament in the past. But the past shouldn’t distract us from the present and the future.

Yes, India have found it tough to qualify consistently for the Asian Cup. Before 2019, their previous appearance came in 2011, after 1984 and 1964. But we shouldn’t also forget the fact that Stimac got the job when Indian football was on a high after the 2019 Asian Cup. And Stimac, a former bronze medal winner with Croatia at the 1998 World Cup and the most high-profile hiring for AIFF, came in with a lot of hope and reputation. By his own admission, he was in India to play the so-called more aggressive brand of football besides what one would hope was one of the key deliverables, that is to sustain the momentum gained from 2019 Asian Cup participation.

Now, on both counts, Stimac’s record has been extremely underwhelming. Before one points out that his tenure is just a byproduct of the flawed Indian football ecosystem, let me also put across that India’s domestic structure has been far from ideal for all coaches. It has been the one common denominator for all.

Read: Overdependence on Sunil Chhetri biggest worry for India

Under Stimac, India have only won six games from 25 while suffering 10 losses. Holding Asian champions Qatar to a goalless draw very early in his tenure is India’s best performance under Stimac but it all went downhill from there. Not being able to beat lower-ranked Afghanistan in two matches and only one win over lowly Bangladesh in three matches is a poor show. Adding to the horror was India’s inability to beat Sri Lanka, a team then placed 98 spots lower in FIFA rankings, in the SAFF Cup.

Almost always Stimac makes a change to his starting XI. There’s rarely stability in his side. Almost always India are slow to start under him and only come to the party when push comes to shove, as was visible in the second round of Asian Cup qualifiers and SAFF Cup. After disappointing draws against lower-ranked sides, India did just enough in the end to save the blushes.

Add to this, Sunil Chhetri was their saviour almost every time. Minus Chhetri’s inspiration, Stimac’s campaign would have been a lot more insipid.

That puts a big question on Stimac’s ability to extract the best out of his players. He once said he would change India’s playing philosophy, but under him, in most matches, India have failed to get past the second gear. In the recent friendlies against Bahrain, Jordan and Belarus, the passing football proved to be a  bridge too far for the team. Again, it raises the question, is Stimac picking the right strategies? Results are not the biggest worry. The football, the energy and the drive on display definitely are.

India’s chances

So, India don’t enter the qualifiers to just reach the finals. They enter to make a statement. With the Asian Cup now expanding to 24 teams, qualification isn’t the toughest part. The final round of qualifiers has six groups of four teams. 11 will qualify for the finals including the group winners and the top five second-placed teams.

The 106th ranked India are up against Hong Kong (147), Afghanistan (150) and Cambodia (171). Even in the worst scenario, India should qualify for the main tournament.

Qualifying regularly for the Asian Cup is the benchmark that India need to set for themselves — if they really aim to awaken the ‘sleeping giant’. While qualifying for the 2023 Asian Cup is a must, anything less than topping the group comprehensively would be considered a disappointing campaign for India and coach Igor Stimac.

Fixtures

8 June: India vs Cambodia – 8:30 PM IST

11 June: India vs Afghanistan – 8:30 PM IST

14 June: India vs Hong Kong – 8:30 PM IST

The matches will be telecast live on the Star Sports 3 TV channel. The live streaming of the matches will be available on the Disney+ Hotstar OTT platform.

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