Three changes Igor Stimac should implement in second Afghanistan game in FIFA WC Qualifiers

Igor Stimac’s India succumbed to a draw in the previous outing and ‘have’ to win this upcoming clash by hook or crook.

With a hope to fight back against the disaster outing at the AFC Asian Cup 2023, Igor Stimac-coached Indian football team took the field against Afghanistan on 22 March in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier. Indian fans were determined to see their side clinch a thumping victory against the Lions of Khorasan, who literally entered the qualifiers with majority of their squad boycotting the federation and opting out of the national team.

Igor Stimac was concerned with the venue at which the game was scheduled to take place and was not ready to take Ashley Westwood’s side lightly. However, the concern looked like a little too much, from his and his team’s perspective. Throughout the Afghanistan vs India game, the Blue Tigers, led by Sunil Chhetri, hardly created positive opportunities. Moreover, it was Afghanistan, who earned applause for a hard-worked comeback in the qualifiers, after they succumbed to two thumping defeats at the hands of Qatar and Kuwait.

The return leg is slated to take place on 26 March in India – Guwahati to be precise. Guwahati is a place where India will receive a lot of local support, considering the fact that Assam is a football frenzied state in itself. But, the sole aspect of home support won’t be enough. Igor Stimac would need to implement a few changes in the strategy to bag a convincing victory in this fixture.

More attacking approach

After the Afghanistan game on 26 March, India will face two tougher opponents in Qatar and Kuwait. The home-away factor won’t be crucial, since both these oppositions are in good shape, definitely better than India. In the previous tie, India fielded players like Vikram Partap Singh, Manvir Singh and Lallianzuala Chhangte up front. 

However, in this clash, they need to field more impactful players. Vikram, though being the top Indian goal-scorer in the ISL, looked off-colour against Afghanistan. Maybe fielding Brandon Fernandes as a No.10 and shifting Sunil Chhetri to the No.9 role would help Stimac. Moreover, in place of Manvir Singh, the Croatian has the option to field someone like Naorem Mahesh Singh, a move that has yielded results in the past. Mahesh is not in great form of late, but an arm around the shoulder from Stimac can be the magical touch which will help the Manipuri footballer.

Additionally, fielding just one defensive midfielder in the form of Jeakson Singh and injecting the box-to-box energy of Anirudh Thapa could be another way of brightening the attacking third for India.

‘Feed’ Sunil Chhetri

Yes, Chhetri is evergreen. But, he is not GOD. In modern football, it is tough for a 39-year-old to carry everything on his shoulder. Maybe Chhetri has produced numerous herculean heroics over the years, but now it’s time for his teammates to feed him properly. 

Can a fan specify exactly how many opportunities came the skipper’s way in the previous game, or even during the Asian Cup? The number might be in single digits! Fans and pundits still have this belief, if Chhetri receives proper delivery inside the box, he can convert them with ease. He is at the fag end of his career, but as the myth goes, ‘class is permanent’. 

Don’t compromise the midfield

In modern football, the most important area on the pitch is the midfield. If we cite examples from leagues or international competitions abroad, we will observe that teams with a more dominating and effective midfield have usually emerged victorious in crucial matches. India have top-notch players who can turn the fortunes of their side and they will be crucial going forward in the second leg against Afghanistan. Afghanistan don’t have a completely compact midfield, and they prefer playing on counters. If India can dominate the midfield battle and inject their best in this part of the pitch, it will become only tougher for Afghanistan. 

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