We’d like gamers with confidence in entrance of objective: Stimac after India’s Asian Cup exit

India’s head coach Igor Stimac stands for his or her nationwide anthem earlier than the beginning of the Asian Cup Group B soccer match between Syria and India at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024.
| Photograph Credit score: AP

India ended their Asian Cup marketing campaign pointless and goal-less, and head coach Igor Stimac admitted that his crew wants gamers with confidence in entrance of opposition objective, a major assertion contemplating the probably retirement of talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri within the subsequent few years.

It is no secret that the Indian crew lacks a high quality striker, aside from the 39-year-old Chhetri, although Stimac understandably would typically play down such considerations prior to now.

However, he selected to be candid after India misplaced 0-1 to Syria on Jan 23 to crash out of the Asian Cup with an all-loss report.

Discovering a brand new striker

“Scoring targets comes with having good objective scorers within the crew, individuals with confidence in entrance of objective,” Stimac stated on the post-match convention.

“The crew produced sufficient possibilities to attain sufficient targets. You all know why we aren’t scoring targets at worldwide degree. It is going to occur after we begin having Indian gamers in centre ahead positions (at membership degree). Solely then we’re going to have many extra objective scorers for nationwide crew.

“So, kindly increase that query someplace else, not right here,” he stated, clearly referring to the dearth of Indians in centre ahead positions within the Indian Tremendous League golf equipment.

India misplaced all their three group matches and conceded six targets within the event, the worst in all of the 5 editions the nation had participated. They misplaced 0-2 to Australia and 0-3 to Uzbekistan earlier than the solitary objective defeat to Syria.

“It is a good studying expertise for us. Total, in three video games, we proved we will compete at this degree. Clearly, everyone sees the lacking factors when India performs. (Concerning) the issues in Indian soccer, as a lot as you give that a lot you get on the finish. That’s my conclusion of this event,” stated Stimac, who had demanded a four-week pre-tournament coaching camp however acquired simply 10 days.

This was the primary time India returned with out scoring a objective, with Chhetri, the lone ranger for a very long time, additionally having an unusual outing contemplating his excessive requirements.

The world’s third most prolific participant amongst lively footballers is within the twilight of his profession and positively has performed his final Asian Cup. He had scored two targets every within the 2011 and 2019 editions of the Asian Cup, the place India additionally didn’t qualify for the knock-out rounds.

No magic wand, says Stimac

Stimac stated he doesn’t possess a magic wand to take Indian soccer ahead in a brief span of time.

“India by no means certified for U-23 AFC Asian Cup. Then how will we’ve got good senior gamers? How can we count on good outcomes at senior degree if we don’t qualify for U-18, U-20 and U-23 Asian Cup?”, he requested. “I’m not a magician, I don’t have a magic wand. I’m only a hardworking man who’s asking you to be affected person, nearly as good issues in soccer don’t occur in a single day.

“I promise to take you to the third spherical of World Cup Qualifiers within the subsequent 12 months. After that issues want to hurry up with investments, with international coaches coming in to take cost of Indian soccer academies.”

Speaking about his sport plan within the Syria match, he stated, “We had a transparent plan to take the sport into 60 minutes with a clear sheet and to deliver on the recent legs, which I hoped would give us one thing and get an influence to this crew within the final half-hour, which clearly didn’t occur.”

“I believe Udanta (Singh) was the one one who got here instead and did a couple of issues, others didn’t have any influence in any way,” rued the skilled coach, who can also be a World Cup bronze winner for Croatia.

Defensive mainstay Sandesh Jhingan was taken off the sphere within the first minute of the second half resulting from an damage. Until then the match was scoreless. However, Stimac didn’t really feel that Jhingan’s absence had a huge impact on the end result, saying different defenders resembling Rahul Bheke and Subhasish Bose did fairly effectively.

He warned that gamers who’re “informal” of their strategy wouldn’t get their locations within the crew.

Stimac, who acquired a yellow card through the Syria match, stated the referee was too harsh on India. “You can not sanction every contact made by India and never sanction the opposite facet. Simply maintain the identical degree of standards all through the 100 minutes.”

“Right here we noticed at the moment, hitting a participant off the ball, it’s a crimson card. That sort of behaviour (by a Syrian participant) is a crimson card.”

Stimac additionally made an fascinating remark that the Syrian goal-scorer Omar Khrbin, the 2017 AFC Asian Footballer of the Yr and at the moment taking part in in UAE Professional League, was value two instances the mixed market worth of all of the 11 Indian gamers who began the match (4.5 million Euros vs 2.5 million Euros).