New Delhi: Indian senior men’s national football team head coach Igor Stimac will continue to play his role as he focuses on the 2026 FIFA World Cup second round qualifiers against Kuwait and Qatar.
India suffered a shock in their quest for a place in the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2027 AFC Asian Cup joint preliminary qualifiers when the team lost 1-2 in Afghanistan last month.
The committee constituted by All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey to discuss with Stimac had a virtual meeting with the Croatian on Tuesday.
During the meeting, Stimac was asked to clarify his recent statement regarding his resignation if India failed to qualify for the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
“A year ago I said we were going to try to qualify for the third round and currently we are second in the group and two teams qualify. We will discuss this matter in more detail after the match against Kuwait on June 6, 2024,” said the coach. in the meeting.
“The match against Kuwait on June 6 will be one of the biggest days of Indian football as a victory will significantly increase our chances of qualifying for the third round for the first time. The staff and players are all aware of this historic moment ahead of us and we will do everything in our power to win,” Stimac said during the meeting.
“Fruitful discussions were held with the AIFF committee members. I appreciate everyone’s concern and hope we come together to make history in June,” the head coach said.
The coach was asked to focus on the upcoming matches and plan his preparation accordingly.
