Even on Ronaldo we can be harsh..., Igor Stimac backs players after tough loss against Uzbekistan

Igor Stimac also shed light on Lallianzuala Chhangte’s absence from the lineup.

India were smashed 3-0 by Uzbekistan in their second group stage fixture at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. It was the same old story for Igor Stimac’s side. India created a few chances, but lacked the final touch as always.

India’s campaign is almost over at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup while Uzbekistan have put one foot into the knockout rounds. After the match, India’s head coach Igor Stimac addressed the media and shared his thoughts on the game.

Thoughts on the game

Sharing his thoughts on the game, Stimac said that it was an exciting fixture, but India missed a lot of key players.

“It was an exciting game. Congratulations to Uzbekistan. They could’ve scored a few more and we could’ve also scored a few goals. The goals came from our silly mistakes. At this moment, this is our reality without too many key players. We lost (Lallianzuala) Chhangte prior to the game.”

He also mentioned that they are a growing team and such experiences will help them in the future.

“Liston got a fever and options were limited. We need to work on ourselves and take positives out of it. We are a growing team and learning from such lessons will give us good momentum in the future. There’s one more game left and it is giving us hope, but we need to eliminate the micro details which are killing us at the moment,” he asserted.

Thoughts on Sandesh Jhingan and Rahul Bheke

Igor Stimac was asked to share his thoughts on Sandesh Jhingan and Rahul Bheke’s performance. He said, “I will not be harsh on any of our players because they are the only players we have. These players brought us a clean-sheet and victory against Kuwait. I need them in the future and I’ll be very supportive and positive about them. I’ll try to help them get better.”

He also added that there is a lot of work to do for his side.

“It’s easy to get harsh. Even on Ronaldo we can be harsh for not doing this and that, We are at a level where we need to accept our realities and how much work we have ahead of us. We need to understand that there were many parts of the game that we could enjoy – our passing, intention and creation,” he quipped.

Appreciation for Apuia and Suresh

The head coach appreciated Apuia and Suresh for their efforts and said that the team needs more players like them who can play at the top level.

“These games are muscle for these boys. They are two boys who can match this level. I love them for their courage, commitments and their work. We need much more of them who can play at this level,”

Message to the fans

Sharing a message to the fans, Stimac requested them to stick with the players and support them because there is still one more game left.

“We are very sad about disappointing them. But, all I can say to them is sorry. Please be supportive to these boys because they will bring you lots of happiness this year. We need to stick by them and be supportive. There’s one more game and let’s try and get a win,” he said.

Uzbekistan’s strengths

When asked about the strengths of Uzbekistan, the head coach said that Uzbekistan were very clinical up front and did not allow India any chances.

“They are clinical in the chances that they create. They didn’t give away anything. On the other hand, we allowed them to create chances. But, if you look at football globally, Uzbekistan are working very well with the underage groups and dominating there. They have a fantastic generation of players and that’s why the national team is strong,” he asserted.

Chhangte’s injury

Igor Stimac also shared an update about Lallianzuala Chhangte’s injury and said that he felt a sourness in his groin and was not perfectly fit for the Uzbekistan clash.

“Two days ago, Chhangte felt a sourness in his groin. We rested him yesterday. And today in the screening we noticed that it is not perfectly well for the game. There is no reason to risk him because he has been pushing himself a lot. We don’t want to lose him for what’s ahead of us,” he signed off.

How to succeed at AFC Asian Cup

Igor Stimac also shared his thoughts about how to succeed at Asia’s flagship tournament. He said that the team needs complete players who can compete at this level.

“To have better efficiency at the AFC Asian Cup, we need complete players. We either have players who can pass the ball, but cannot match the strength and speed. Something is missing. We have several complete players who can match this level, but it’s not enough. We need to work on ourselves a lot,” he said.

Difference between Uzbekistan and India’s youth system

When asked about the differences between the youth structure of Uzbekistan and Inida, Igor Stimac said, “If you look at football globally, Uzbekistan is working very well with underage groups and dominating there. They have a fantastic generation of players and that’s why the national team is strong. That’s one point where we need to speed up to make sure we have a future in football. We have just started to organise competitions at the U-18 and U-20 level,” he asserted.

Plans for the future

When asked about his plans for the future, Igor Stimac said that the team’s main goal is to qualify for the third round of world cup qualifiers.

“Realistically our main goal is to qualify for the third round of the World Cup qualifiers. We created a fantastic victory against Kuwait away from home. Now we have everything ahead of us to make it happen for the first time in Indian football history. We need to learn from these games and grow as a team,” he mentioned.

More say in youth football structure

Stimac also touched upon the importance of a youth structure to develop better players. He said, “How can we expect to have complete players if we don’t have a proper structure? Structure needs to be there from the age of 14 until the age of 23. We need to go that way and be patient. Until the we need to look at the players from the league,”

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