NEW DELHI: India's head coach, Igor Stimac, believes that a victory against Kuwait in the upcoming match on Thursday will essentially secure the nation's first-ever progression to the third round of the World Cup qualifiers. This achievement, according to Stimac, has the potential to transform the landscape of Indian football.
The Croatian, who was part of the 1998 World Cup bronze-medal winning team, emphasised that India's advancement to the third round, where direct slots for the 2026 World Cup will be determined, would be the pinnacle of his entire career both as a player and a coach.
"This can change the future of Indian football. Although I'm a foreigner in this country, I feel more like an Indian," Stimac said at the pre-match press conference in Kolkata.
"Honestly this is the biggest game altogether in my playing and coaching career and the simple reason is that we have a chance to make 1.5 billion Indians happy tomorrow.
"We need to do everything to make it happen. That's the reason this is the biggest game of my career together in the coaching and playing days," the 56-year-old said.
India are presently holding the second position in their group, having accumulated four points. A victory against Kuwait would solidify their standing.
Afghanistan, also with four points, will face off against the reigning Asian champions, Qatar, concurrently on Thursday.
The goal difference is likely to be the determining factor in which team progresses to the third round as the second-place finisher in the group. India's goal difference stands at minus three, while Afghanistan's is significantly lower at minus 10.
In their previous encounter in November last year, India emerged victorious against Kuwait, securing a 1-0 win in Kuwait City.
'Sad Sunil is retiring'
Stimac mentioned he was feeling sad as Sunil Chhetri will be retiring after the match. However, he added that he might still give the ace striker one "last call" to play for India.
"Of course as a coach I'm sad that Sunil is leaving us. I'm still not sure if I'm going to send him another call, if I feel we need him and he plays well for Bengaluru FC. I'm still thinking about it," he said in a lighter vein.
Gurpreet in starting XI
Senior goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu had a sloppy outing against Afghanistan, resulting in India's shocking 1-2 loss, as his foul handed the opponents the winning penalty.
However, head coach Igor Stimac has backed Gurpreet, naming him in the playing XI against Kuwait ahead of Amrinder Singh and Vishal Kaith.
"Gurpreet is starting the game tomorrow. I don't question at this level and at such a high important level my goalkeeper who is number 1.
"I hope he will prove himself again tomorrow and how crucial he is for the national team. Yes, he didn't do well but that doesn't mean as a coach I will go with radical changes between the post because experience at international level is a huge factor," he said.
Stimac also mentioned that he might consider giving "minutes" to exciting I-League players David Lalhlansanga and Edmund Lalrindika on Thursday.
India have some promising youngsters from the I-League, including David from the triumphant Mohammedan Sporting and Edmund Lalrindika from Inter Kashi. If either of them makes the cut, it will be the first time in five years that an I-League player debuts in the national jersey.
"They are great assets for Indian football. Both of them have adapted to the squad, to the drills, to the environments in a very, very good way. They became an essential part of the 25-27 squad. They will be competing for their minutes," Stimac said.
The Croat emphasised that the team's disappointing results in the recent World Cup qualifiers and Asian Cup were largely attributable to the sub-par performances of the substitute players. He insisted that the players coming off the bench delivered "terrifying performances" that significantly impacted the team's overall performance.
The coach called upon the reserve players to elevate their game and make a positive contribution when called upon in upcoming matches. He stressed the importance of having a strong and reliable bench, capable of maintaining the team's level of play and competitiveness throughout the entire duration of a match.
"All of us have noticed since the Kuwait win that we didn't have any positive impact from any player coming from the bench. That was terrifying for me as a coach," Stimac said.
"I've pointed out to the boys because many times the bench players are more important than those who start the games."
Wish India get more players like Chhetri: Kuwait coach
Rui Bento, the head coach of Kuwait, acknowledged the formidable task that lies ahead when his team faces India. However, he emphasized that they have learned from their previous defeat and have made significant improvements in their preparation for the upcoming match.
"Football is an ongoing process and now we are better than before. So expect better performance to win the game. We are confident about our players."
On retiring Chhetri, he said: "I know him very well, a historical player for Indian football. All the best to him.
"Football needs players like him. It's not for good Indian football. Maybe in future you will have more players like Chhetri."
(With PTI inputs)
