Football

“We are wary of Nepal’s threat,” says Indian national team head coach Igor Stimac ahead of the first match

 

The Indian national football team will be back on the pitch as they will lock horns against neighbours Nepal in two back to back friendlies. The first match is scheduled for September 2 at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu.

Ahead of the friendlies Indian national team head coach Igor Stimac spoke to the media regarding his squad and what he thinks about the Nepalese team.

Firstly the Croatian tactician was asked about his feeling as the Blue Tigers gear up for two friendly matches, to which he replied, “We are very happy to have a chance to be together again and having some friendly games in preparation for the upcoming SAFF competition,” said Igor Stimac. “Everything is not ideal, but I just hope that the games will be good if you’re going to provide good and exciting football. We need to learn on the pitch and we hope that all the players will be fit and ready.”

The Indian national team camp started from August 15 onwards in Kolkata. However, Igor Stimac could only choose players from all other teams apart from ATK Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC as they were featuring in the AFC Cup. When quizzed about the availability of the players from ATKMB and Bengaluru FC in the first game against Nepal.

Yes, obviously when I said, not everything was ideal, I specifically thought about that. We didn’t have players for ATK Mohun Bagan and BFC with us. Most of them are a regular part of our team and they know what I’m expecting of them. We’re happy that they had some AFC Cup games, so they are in a good fitness condition.”

The Croatian tactician is wary of the Nepalese team ahead of the consecutive friendlies. He revealed that the Gorkhalis have improved a lot in recent times and hence he expects them to all guns blazing against India. “We did our analysis, our work on analyzing the Nepalese team. They made certain progress in the recent qualifiers. They showed that they can play good football. Defensively, they improved quite a lot. Now, they are defending as a team, you can recognize that on the pitch,” said the 53-year-old.

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

DC-W vs MI-W WPL 2025 Final: Mumbai favourites with momentum on their side as DC-W look to succeed in third consecutive final

The Women’s Premier League 2025 final is here and these are two best teams in… Read More

March 14, 2025

Lakshya Sen Storms Into All England Open Quarter-Finals; Chirag-Satwik Withdraw Due to Injury

Indian badminton star Lakshya Sen continued his impressive run at the All England Open 2025,… Read More

March 14, 2025

Axar Patel Named Delhi Capitals Captain for IPL 2025

Delhi Capitals (DC) have appointed all-rounder Axar Patel as their new captain for the 2025… Read More

March 14, 2025

Kerala Blasters End Disappointing ISL Season, Shift Focus to Super Cup 2025

Kerala Blasters FC concluded their 2024-25 Indian Super League (ISL) campaign on a frustrating note,… Read More

March 14, 2025

TG Purushothaman says conversion is the problem after draw against Hyderabad FC

Kerala Blasters FC interim head coach TG Purushothaman shared his disappointment after a 1-1 draw… Read More

March 14, 2025

Rafael Nadal says women should earn more if they generate more

Rafael Nadal believes women should earn more if they generate more profit. Nadal said men… Read More

March 14, 2025