‘We must avoid…’: Igor Stimac analyses India’s form ahead of SAFF Championship semi-final vs Lebanon

India are through to the semifinals of the SAFF Championships in Bangalore, having beaten Pakistan and Nepal in their first two matches to seal qualification. A dramatic match against the last team from their group, Kuwait, saw India conceded a last-minute equaliser, going down as an own-goal. It has been a fiery tournament for the Indian unit, with brawls breaking out against both Pakistan and Kuwait, and coach Igor Stimac receiving red cards in both those matches.

Speaking about India’s form so far in this tournament and what they will need to look out for in their semifinal against Lebanon at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, the former Croatian international was frank about what deficiencies needed to be fixed, even though he was generally happy about the performances so far. “I don’t have much to complain about. We need to improve during those crucial moments in the game when our focus and concentration should be at the highest level, and we must avoid giving away unnecessary possessions,” said India’s coach.

India are fresh off winning the Intercontinental Cup last month, and are now looking to defend their title at the SAFF Championships. They strolled to comfortable wins against Pakistan and Nepal, and were largely the better team against Kuwait, but small errors at bad times cost them.

“What disappoints me is when we make simple passes without any pressure, because then we have to expend a tremendous amount of energy to regain possession through our high press,” continued Stimac, who has been in charge of India’s men’s team since 2019 and has guided their charge into the top 100 in the FIFA rankings, confirmed this week.

“Overall, I’m very pleased with the boys. They are getting closer to the level I want them to reach. We are improving with each game. We have a great atmosphere whenever we step onto the training pitch.”

India’s charge at this tournament has been led unsurprisingly by captain and talisman Sunil Chhetri, who along with 5 goals in 3 games has been a guiding and inspirational presence from the front for the team.

The draw against Kuwait meant India finished second in the group, losing out on the tiebreak on goals scored. As a result, they have drawn Lebanon, the only team still going perfect in the tournament with 3 out of 3 wins. “We knew that at some point, we would concede a goal. We didn’t expect it to happen through an own goal in the last minute. But that’s part of football, and we have to accept it,” said Stimac of the unfortunate Anwar Ali own goal.

“The important thing is that we dominated Kuwait in all aspects of the game. So, I’m really happy with the boys. We are now preparing for the semifinals, and everything will fall into place,” concluded the Croatian, who has tasted success at the international stage as part of his country’s bronze medal finish at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

India will kick off against Lebanon at 7:30 PM on Saturday, with Kuwait and Bangladesh playing earlier that day at 3:00 PM. In front of home support, Stimac’s team will look to dig in and improve on the criticisms their coach had about their play, and set themselves up with a shot at retaining the SAFF trophy for another two years.