Igor Stimac, the head coach of the Indian men’s football team, stated in a press conference that the Blue Tigers will use the duration of the journey for tactical preparation before its Asian Games opening match against China in Hangzhou on Tuesday because there won’t be any time left for training sessions.
The team’s preparations for the Asian Games were interrupted by the dispute between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Indian Super League (ISL) clubs over the release of their players ahead of AFC and opening matches of the ISL.
In the Asian Games, the Indian men’s national football team is paired with China, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, and three games are scheduled over the course of five days.
Prior to the team’s departure for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Head Coach Igor Stimac emphasized that the Asian Games will give a chance for younger players in his squad to demonstrate their determination. He also focused on how this Asian Games will give newer opportunities and greater experiences to young boys who have made it to the final squad as they will get a golden chance to display what they can do.
Here’s what Stimac said about the new boys, “Those players who are not primarily on the list in the team have a great opportunity in front of them. It’s a great challenge for them to prove themselves, to achieve their dreams, and to prove that they deserve better opportunities in the ISL and in their clubs.”
Stimac further added, “Azfar got into this primary first list of 50 players who were there based on their performances last season. It will be a great opportunity for him to meet the coach of the senior national team, to work with us for a few days as long as it takes and to prove himself.”
The gaffer lastly added, “One of the reasons why no senior player was involved on my first list was my faith and trust in the younger generation and this is because I opened the door of the Senior National Team widely to them on the very first day of my work here.”
