The 18th edition of the AFC Asian Cup is set to kick off in Qatar on January 12th, 2024. A total of 24 nations compete in the world’s second-oldest continental football championship, and India is one to watch out for. As the Blue Tigers gear up for their fifth appearance at the event, coach Igor Stimac, in a recent press conference, delved into several topics, including the team’s preparation, strategies and prospects.
India have been placed in a tough group with World Cup regulars Australia, strong Uzbekistan and Syria. Asked if they could reach the knockouts, Stimac said India are ‘outsiders’ in the group, with Australia and Uzbekistan the clear favourites. However, he added that his men will play fearless football and he is not worried about the results.
“Obviously, we are rank outsiders in our group. Uzbekistan is one of the dark horses and a fantastic team, their players’ physicality could cause problems. Australia are playing at the highest level of football and we all know what they are capable of. They are regular at World Cups and will mostly clear the group stage there,” Stimac said on Sunday.
“This group is much stronger than the last Asian Cup. The most important thing for us is to have a good performance and ensure that we remain stable and in shape while playing. I am not putting any pressure on players about results. We need to find stability, we will try to play fearless football notwithstanding the teams we play against. I don’t mind the final results. Our final goal is to qualify for the third round of World Cup qualifiers,” he added.
India cripples by injuries ahead of mega event
To further dampen their performances, India are hampered by several injuries. Three regulars – Anwar Ali, Jeakson Singh and Ashique Kuruniyan – and a few others including Glan and Rohit Kumar are also injured. However, the coach is not bothering about their absence and is instead focused on putting up a strong display with the players available.
“The team changed dramatically for us, with the injuries in the last couple of months. Everything started after losing Ashique Kuruniyan, after him it was Anwar Ali, then Jeakson followed,” said the former Croatian footballer.
“Then lately, the players who were mostly the backup option in the middle of the park like Glan (Martins), Rohit (Kumar), they suffered certain injuries. We are not as good as we could be at the moment, but we don’t have time to think about those who are not with us, we have to focus on those who are here with us,” he added.
India will kick off their campaign with a mouth-watering clash against Australia on January 13. Earlier, the Indian players received a rousing welcome from the crowd on their arrival in Doha and they expect similar support in the match.
