Asked my players to be creative and enjoy football: Igor Stimac

Igor Stimac also said that he expects a competitive game tomorrow.

India put up a strong fight against Iraq in their 49th King's Cup semi-final clash in Thailand, but ran out of luck and were therefore eliminated in the penalty shootout. 

Now the Blue Tigers’ focus shifts to the bronze medal game against a familiar opposition in Lebanon. India will play their third bronze medal game at the King's Cup having won it twice before. 

Ahead of the clash, India’s head coach Igor Stimac addressed the media and shared his thoughts.

Thoughts on Lebanon

The head coach began by sharing his thoughts on Lebanon. He said that it is going to be an open match as he already knows about them. 

“It is a regular competition between Lebanon and India. It will be the fourth match in three months. We know each other very well and there are no secrets. For us as coaches, it is easier because there is not much analysing to do because we know them. So, it’s about concentrating on our own and being effective for the 90 minutes,” he asserted.

Team News 

It was a tough and tiring match against Iraq. When asked about the availability of his squad, Igor Stimac said that Ashique Kuruniyan and Rahim Ali will not start the game, but might come in later.

“Yes, we do have issues with some injured players from the first game with Ashique Kuruniyan and Rahim Ali. I hope they might get better and might get involved in the game but I'm not expecting them to start."

He further added that he won’t risk his key players as they are important to both club and country.

“I will not risk such players with such injuries. They are important to their clubs and there is no need to push them with such injuries. So, there will be changes in our team,” he quipped.

Thoughts on the game against Iraq

Sharing his thoughts on the semi-final clash against Iraq, the tactician said that his boys fought very well, but they deserved more out of the game.

“I was very happy with my boys’ performance and efforts as Iraq is a much higher-ranked side. We gave a good fight and were ahead twice in the game. But at the end, we deserved more out of the game,” he said.

What to expect tomorrow?

Igor Stimac was asked about what everyone can expect from the game tomorrow. He said, “We can expect an open game. I'm just asking my players to be creative and enjoy and celebrate football. I'm not putting any kind of pressure on them. The result is in God and the referee's hands. Tomorrow both teams will be very competitive. 

“I can see what Aleksandar Ilić is doing with Lebanon because I was there when I started with India. Time is needed in football for coaches to spread their philosophies. I just hope it’s going to be a very good and competitive game from both teams,” he added.

Update on Chhangte

Igor Stimac also gave an update about India’s star winger Lallianzuala Chhangte. He said that Chhangte has recovered from his fever, but the coaching staff is yet to make a decision regarding his selection.

“Chhangte is available, but he has been under a fever for 3-4 days. So, I am not sure if he can start the game. Fever takes a lot of energy out of the body. I will speak to him and we will together decide what can be done,” he concluded.