"I see India in the AFC Asian Cup 2023" - Igor Stimac remains upbeat as Blue Tigers prepare for Qualifiers

Ahead of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers, Indian men's senior team head coach Igor Stimac underlined on Tuesday that although the host nation will be the favorites going into the tournament, the Blue Tigers will have to fight on the pitch to earn qualification.

"We are favorites and we are not hiding from that fact. We are confident and we will go to the pitch and try to earn a spot. But I see India in the Asian Cup main tournament, no doubt about it. I hope to see great support here and we can all celebrate together after the third game in the Qualifiers," Stimac said in a press conference.

The Blue Tigers have their final round of the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 qualifying matches, which will be held in Kolkata from June 8. India has been clubbed in Group D along with Hong Kong, Afghanistan, and Cambodia. The host nation will play its first match against Cambodia on June 8 at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan.

The national team is currently in Kolkata after a brief preparatory camp in Bellary, which started on April 24. The Blue Tigers are scheduled to play a practice match in the Yuva Bharati Krirangan against ATK Mohun Bagan on May 11 and then two games against the I-League Stars team on May 17 and 20.

Meanwhile, Stimac revealed that at the moment there are 24 players in the preparatory camp with Rahim Ali, Chinglensana Singh released and Narender Gahlot out with injuries.

Mumbai City FC's trio Bipin Singh, Apuia and Rahul Bheke, who were on AFC Champions League duties, will join the squad along with Laxmikant Kattimani tomorrow.

The Blue Tigers will next face two international friendlies against Zambia and Jordan on May 25 and May 28 respectively. The Croatian gaffer underlined that international friendlies will be important for players to gain exposure ahead of the crucial qualifiers.

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"Sunil Chhetri is still here, he's still in great shape" - Igor Stimac on the condition of India's talismanic forward

India's goal troubles intensified in the recent friendlies against Bahrain and Belarus in the absence of skipper Sunil Chhetri. The 37-year-old forward was sidelined for the fixtures as he needed time for rehabilitation work. However, Stimac stressed that the talismanic Indian forward is back and in "great shape."

"Sunil is still here, he's still in great shape. We didn't involve him in the Bahrain and Belarus games because we needed time for him to recover from the minor problems he was facing throughout the last couple of years. That has helped Sunil a lot. He'll still be the main force and strength of the Indian national team upfront."

However, the gaffer averred that the absence of Rahim Ali is will affect the team as the young forward had combined well with Chhetri. The 22-year-old played last season with a recurring injury concern and hence Stimac hopes the time off will help Rahim return to full fitness.

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Igor Stimac backs Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to remain India's first-choice keeper

In the 2021-22 season of the Indian Super League, like many shot-stoppers, India's numero uno Gurpreet Singh Sandhu experienced a below-par campaign. The Bengaluru FC custodian had managed only three clean sheets in 15 matches.

Questioned by Sportskeeda if the head coach was considering making some changes to the goalkeeper spot after Gurpreet's recent less-than-stellar ISL outing, Igor Stimac averred:

"We cannot judge goalkeepers in the same way we judge outfield players. I look at the bigger picture for the goalkeepers. You can't judge them by just one average season. But I have full confidence in Gurpreet and I won't shuffle in the position."

Meanwhile, Igor Stimac, in response to a Sportskeeda query, also lauded Mumbai City FC and their Indian contingent for their run in the AFC Champions League. Although the Islanders didn't make it through to the knockout stages, they registered two gritty victories and finished second in the group.

Did any Mumbai City FC player in particular catch Igor Stimac's eye?

Well, the Croatian restrained himself from dishing out individual praise but underlined that he expected to see a lot more from Vikram Pratap Singh during the ACL. He stated that the 20-year-old has the potential to be the future of Indian football but needs to be more involved in matches.

"I wanted to see more of Vikram on the pitch. He's changing positions but I would say he's still not involved enough. I believe he is a player with a lot of potential to be the future of India," Igor Stimac said, answering Sportskeeda's query.