‘We’ll create history in June’

Igor Stimac

Indian football team head coach Igor Stimac will continue with his role to focus on the 2026 FIFA World Cup second-round qualifiers against Kuwait and Qatar.

India suffered a serious jolt in their quest for a place in the third round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 Preliminary Joint Qualifiers when lost to Afghanistan 1-2 last month. The committee constituted by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) president, Kalyan Chaubey, to hold discussions with Stimac had a virtual meeting on April 2 where Stimac was asked to clarify his statement about resigning if India failed to qualify for Round 3 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

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"A year ago, I said that we'd try to qualify for Round 3 and currently we're second in the group and two teams qualify. The game against Kuwait on June 6 will be one of the biggest days in Indian football, as a win will brighten our chances to qualify for Round 3 for the first time. The staff and players are aware of this historic moment," Stimac said.

"Fruitful discussions were had with the AIFF committee members. I appreciate their concern and hope we will join together to create history in June," Stimac added.
Meanwhile, the Indian team dropped four places to 121 in the latest FIFA rankings. It's their worst position in recent years.

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