Want players to enjoy Qatar game: Igor Stimac

Igor Stimac highly praised the Odisha government as well.

Indian national team head coach, Igor Stimac, recently shared his insights in anticipation of the highly anticipated showdown against the Qatar football team. The match is scheduled to take place on November 21, 2023, at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. Stimac's thoughtful remarks shed light on the team's preparations and aspirations for this crucial encounter.

He conveyed his joy upon returning to Bhubaneswar, as it is the very place where the remarkable journey of the Indian team began this year. He said, “It’s great to be back. We created some great memories in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. We are really happy, since things started moving forward for Indian football from here. We won the SAFF Championship at Bengaluru and have now started the World Cup qualifiers in a great way.”

Stimac also addressed the challenge posed by Qatar, the team that hosted the previous World Cup. However, he emphasized the importance of not putting undue pressure on the players and instead encouraged them to savor the game, just like the fans do.

He stated, “We now have another great challenge, a great opportunity against the Qatar team. This opportunity is for all of us to celebrate football, let’s do it together. We are not putting any pressure on our players because we are going to play against the Asian champions and the side who competed in the World Cup recently. We just want them to enjoy the game, same as all of you (fans) who are going to be in the stadium and those who will be watching from home.”

At last, he also commended the efforts and investments made by the government of Odisha towards the development of sports in the state. “I was full of praise last time and this time too. Odisha is once again proving that it’s the best state for sports in India. They are investing a lot for the youths, the Indian youths, for the future of India, and what better way of doing it than investing it in developing sports facilities for them. Congratulations Odisha.”