NEW DELHI (India): India’s national coach Igor Stimac stated there is already a marked difference in the quality of football played by his side since he joined in May.
“We have just started our work in the last six months,” said Stimac. “There’s a great difference in the quality of our game. One can look at the statistics. We now have seven players who can cover over 12,000 metres in a match, including 1,000 metres of sprints.”
However, India has failed to qualify for 2022 FIFA World Cup after losing two and drawing three games in Group E so far.
“We’v had a great few games and some tough ones as well. The toughest games are where you are considered favourites. I can easily say that India has become a team that is difficult to beat. We need to mature our game and put in quality work in order to keep moving forward,” the Croat added.
The four best runners-up across all groups will advance to the World Cup qualifying third round and Asian Cup. The remaining four runners-up will advance to the Asian Cup qualifying third round.
The four best fourth-placed teams across all groups will advance to the Asian Cup qualifying third round. The remaining four fourth-placed teams will advance to the Asian Cup qualifying play-off round.
India next play Asian champions Qatar at home on March 26 followed by their away match to Bangladesh on June 4.
Stimac pointed out the improved defensive record of the side, and cited the number of goals conceded in the first five FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers.
“In the five games so far, we have conceded only five goals. The number was 18 (in eight matches) in the previous qualifiers (2018 FIFA World Cup). There is a big difference now,” he added.
The Croat also spoke about the plans for the near future, including friendly matches for the national team in Europe.
“Not many people know what we are working on when there are no games. I’ve dedicated myself a million percent into the job. It’s not just about choosing 23 players and having training sessions,” he added.
