Leave the FIFA rankings behind: Igor Stimac Before Opening Match of SAFF Championship

Igor Stimac, the coach of India, cautioned his squad on Tuesday not to be misled by the other Group A nations’ somewhat lower FIFA rankings heading into the SAFF Championship 2023 and asked the Blue Tigers to maintain their focus.

India was placed in Group A of the competition with Pakistan, Nepal, and Kuwait. On Wednesday at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, India will play their season opener against Pakistan. “Ignore the FIFA standings! The teams in our group and the competition as a whole are all quite unique. All four sides are capable of producing a variety of football and are highly effective. There will be several goals, which will delight the spectators. Stimac said at the pre-game news conference, “We have a really serious bunch and some challenging opponents

Stimac acknowledged that the Indian squad is confident after its 2-0 victory against Lebanon on Sunday to claim the Intercontinental Cup.

“After our victory in the Intercontinental Cup, the atmosphere around the camp is upbeat. We’re capable of joy. When the squad enters the field, the players must figure out how to win the game on their own, according to the coaching staff, he added.

Despite the heartfelt triumph in the Intercontinental Cup, Stimac warned India not to underestimate Pakistan because they may pose a threat.

They could turn out to be the tournament’s surprise. They have a fantastic team, thus it is irrelevant if recent results haven’t gone their way.

They just played three games (in the Four-Nation Cup) with little preparation, but they have the potential to be quite competitive here. We are aware of the teams’ strengths and weaknesses, and we must address them,” he added.

The crew would need to quickly adjust to the surroundings in Bengaluru, according to Stimac, since the experience in Odisha was significantly different.

“We are coming from (Odisha), where it is sometimes above 40 degrees, even 48 degrees. We don’t have much time, but we need to practise on the artificial surface slowly and get acclimated to Bengaluru’s colder weather, which is great for football.

The Intercontinental Cup win was India’s first against Lebanon in 46 years, and the fact that Sunil Chhetri, the team’s captain and top scorer, was able to put his name on the score sheet would bolster the group’s spirits.

The Indian squad would be counting on Chhetri to do similarly in the SAFF Championship.