NEW DELHI, July 2: India�s draw against Asian champions Qatar in a World Cup qualifier last year was one of their best results but coach Igor Stimac does not want to put pressure on his players by promising a victory in the return leg.
India play Qatar in Bhubaneswar on October 8 before taking on Bangladesh (away match) on November 12 and Afghanistan in Kolkata on November 17.
India are already out of contention for a berth in the 2022 World Cup but they are still in the reckoning for the 2023 Asian Cup as it is a joint qualification campaign.
The 52-year-old Stimac said promising victory against Qatar will be suicidal but his side will play not to lose the match.
�With strong belief in what we do and a clear mindset, everything is possible. We are certainly not going to come out on the pitch to lose the game. But to promise victory against Asian champions and such a great team as Qatar would be suicidal,� Stimac told PTI in an interview from his home in Croatia.
�We are in the process of building up a new respectable team and I am trying to avoid putting our youngsters under extra pressure so they can enjoy their football and gain experience for the future.�
With international friendlies and competitive matches unlikely to be held in the next few months, Stimac said his players face an �enormous� task ahead of their game against Qatar.
�The (ongoing) long break isn�t a concern for us. Under current circumstances � the COVID-19 pandemic � there�s no possibility of organising any international friendlies, and the leagues won�t kick-off either. So the task which we are facing before the World Cup Qualifiers is enormous,� he said.
Due to the pandemic, the domestic season has been pushed back by two months with the transfer season set to run from August 1 to October 31. Both the Indian Super League and I-League will begin only after that.
It is still not clear and the Asian Football Confederation is not in a position to say now if the upcoming scheduled matches will be played in front of spectators. But Stimac said playing behind close doors against Qatar and Afghanistan will be a �great disadvantage� for hosts India. � PTI
