I promise to take you ..., Igor Stimac reveals future plans for Indian football team

Igor Stimac emphasized on betterment of football in youth levels.

The Indian football team suffered a heartbreaking defeat against Syria in their final group stage match of the AFC Asian Cup 2023. This loss marked the conclusion of their campaign in the tournament, as they were unable to secure a single victory in three matches or score a single goal.

In the post-match press conference, Indian head coach Igor Stimac responded to a question regarding the future of Indian football and the upcoming generations destined for the big stage. His answers were captivating and addressed crucial aspects that are imperative for enhancing football performance on the global stage.

“India never qualified for the U-23 AFC Asian Cup. If we don’t qualify, then how will we have good senior players? How can we expect good results at the senior level if we don’t qualify for the U-18, U-20, and U-23 Asian Cup?”, coach Igor Stimac initially presented some of his inquiries.

He proceeded to outline the necessary changes required for the improvement of football in the country with the statement, “Development, coaches, and structural competitions will take us forward. I’m not a magician. I’m just a hardworking guy who is asking you to be patient, as good things in football won’t happen overnight. I promise to take you over the World Cup Qualifiers in the next 12 months. After that things need to speed up with investments and foreign coaches coming in to take charge of Indian football academies.”

“We need a greater number of serious competitions for the kids who are 17 and 18 years old, because that’s where we need competitions. They need to be taught how to handle defeats, not just how to win games”, he added. 

India’s upcoming matches are set for March 2024, where they are scheduled to face Afghanistan in the World Cup Qualifier matches. The initial match is slated for the 21st of March, followed by the second match on the 26th of March.

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