Blues boss Igor Stimac prioritises Asian Games, King’s Cup preparation

The Indian football Team will travel abroad to compete in the King’s Cup in Thailand following three straight victories in tournaments. This comes after a home winning streak of 16 games. In addition, there is a re-entry into the top 100 FIFA Rankings. After four years, Sunil Chhetri and Co will compete in the highly anticipated Asian Games 2023. Igor Stimac, the head coach, emphasises the significance of the competitions before to the event.

It will be a test unlike any other the Blue Tigers have encountered in 2023 to go up against a heavyweight team like Iraq in the first game. The Asian Games in China, however, have captured the interest of head coach Igor Stimac more than anything else during a busy month of football. Nine days after India’s travel to Thailand, it will start.

No Chhetri, coach Igor Stimac decide on strong probable squad for King’s Cup

For the fourth time, the Indian football team will compete in the King’s Cup in Thailand. India last participated in the competition in 2019. On September 7, the Indian men’s football team will face Iraq in the semifinal of the King’s Cup 2023 competition in Thailand.The team with the top ranking in the competition is Iraq. In a 2010 friendly match in Baghdad, India fell 2-0 against Iraq. Speaking on the challenges brought about by Iraq, the Croatian stated in an interview AIFF:

” The King’s Cup will be a different challenge from the previous home tournaments, where we were very successful. We’ve got the toughest possible opponents (Iraq) in the first game. We’ll see how we can handle that with such a short time for preparation. I’ve been doing plenty of things. I’ve been following our opponents who we will face in the King’s Cup. I am also preparing an analysis on the Asian Games.”

“The most important thing is for our national team to be resistant enough. To have the level of intensity we need in the game to do well. History has proven in the four years since I took charge of the team that whenever we have short preparation time. We cannot show compactness at the needed level when we’re facing higher-ranked opponents.”

Stimac added.

“But crucially, we have stabilised the most important part of our game which is the defence. So from that point of view, we can expect a stable defensive block. But I’m not sure how much energy we’re going to have for high-intensity football or high press. Which we were doing magnificently in the previous three tournaments.”

Sunil Chhetri , the captain of the Indian football team, recently pleaded with the head coach to excuse him from the coveted King’s Cup. Thailand will host the competition from September 7 through 10. The first of his children is due on the same day as the scheduled delivery. The head coach was glad to give the captain some time off. He saw it as an excellent chance to put the kids to the test. Asserting the same when asked, he stated:

” Absolutely. That’s why we are following our boys at the Durand Cup too. And they are doing well. They are showing a good attitude, putting on good performances. But you know that we have many things happening in September. So we’ll see who will get the opportunity and who will use it in a proper way, I would say.”

The next few months are going to be very busy for India. With the King’s Cup and Asian Games in September. Followed by Merdeka in October, World Cup Qualifiers in November and the Asian Cup in January. Speaking on the key for India to pass all these tests. Stimac was quoted saying:

“We need to be very wise and use the time, which will be given to us, properly. Because we know the time we get will not obviously be as we expected or enough for the ideal preparation. But whatever we get, we need to use it wisely. To prepare ourselves in the best possible way for each challenge waiting for us ahead.”

“At the moment, we are probably not taking the best possible Indian team to the King’s Cup in Thailand. There will be many youngsters in the final list of 23. Because immediately after that, we need to keep preparing ourselves for the Asian Games. And that’s our priority in September, not the results in the King’s Cup. Creating an environment and a team who will represent India in the Asian Games is our priority. That’s what we are focussed on for now.”

India has been placed in Group A of the Asian Games alongside the People’s Republic of China, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. The second-best ranked side in their group, behind China (80th), will be India, which is currently placed 99th in the FIFA rankings. Bangladesh is ranked 189th, while Myanmar is placed 160th.

The men’s football tournament at the Asian Games 2023 will be an U-23 affair with a maximum of three senior players allowed in each squad. A total of 23 teams will compete for medals at Hangzhou. Speaking on the difficulties to face China, Stimac said:

” It’s difficult to say because it’s an under-23 competition. You don’t have much information about all the teams you’re going to face there. I think we are the only team that hasn’t played a single game with the under-23s in the last two years. How much we can do in a short preparation time is a huge question. Obviously, we do have strong under-23 players, who are already a huge part of the senior national team. It should help us. But as you say, it’s a similar competition to the Asian Cup, but different also because you don’t have time between the games for recovery.

“We’re going to face the biggest opponents in our group, China, in the opening game. And less than 48 hours later we have to play the next opponents (Bangladesh), which is hugely surprising. We’re going to put all our efforts into the opening game and do our best to beat China to make our life easier.”