Bhubaneswar, Nov 20: Head coach Igor Stimac on Monday said that India have nothing to lose but a hell of a lot to gain in their 2026 FIFA World Cup round 2 qualifiers match against Asian champions Qatar here on Tuesday.
India’s 1-0 away win against Kuwait on November 16 will certainly boost their confidence but Stimac made it clear that “Qatar is out of our league”, though the home side will seek to take inspiration from their famous goal-less draw against the Asian champions four years ago.
“The Kuwait game was the most important game in our qualifiers in this group. We had an away win against our direct opponent for the second spot,” Stimac said at the pre-match press conference.
“We are very realistic, we know that Qatar is out of our league. But we also know that this is football, the most beautiful game in the world which provides opportunities and this is our opportunity.” Stimac urged his players to consider Tuesday’s match at the Kalinga Stadium as any other game and give their best.
“It’s a game like any other, that is what my players need to accept and prepare for. What we can do is give our best.
Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who had captained the Indian team that played out the famous 0-0 draw in Doha on September 10, 2019, said he is not thinking about the past result now.
“It’s going to be a challenge as they are a quality side. But there is nothing to be scared of, just to give our best.
“We are playing at our home and we need to use this advantage to go for the maximum, give a good fight and hope for the best,” said Sandhu, adding that nobody is thinking about the past results.
In that drawn match in Doha four years ago, India survived waves of Qatari attacks and Sandhu produced 11 saves and saw the upright coming to his rescue once.
Talismanic striker Suni Chhetri did not play that match as he was indisposed. But he will, as usual, be the pivotal player on Tuesday.
“Having Sunil is always a bonus, there is no doubt about that,” Sandhu said. (PTI)
