"It's going to be very interesting" - India head coach Igor Stimac on the upcoming Hero Tri-Nation Tournament 

As the 2022-23 ISL season approaches its end, international football is all set to take center stage, with India hosting a tri-nation tournament later this month. The tournament will also feature Myanmar and Kyrgyz Republic.

Indian men's team head coach Igor Stimac has picked a 23-man provisional squad ahead of the tournament, with the players set to travel to Kolkata on March 15.

The Croatian manager has been a part of the national setup for over three years. Under his tutelage, the Blue Tigers have secured a place in the AFC Asian Cup, which is scheduled to be held next year.

Ahead of the national camp training, Stimac spoke at length to the AIFF media team about his expectations, desires, and his squad selection.

Quizzed on whether he is satisfied with the Blue Tigers’ successive qualification to the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, Stimac revealed:

"No, it does not. That’s only the first step in what we're trying to achieve.

"When I joined, the main goal was to reconstruct the team, to play a different type of football, and to win the hearts of the Indian people with the style of play. I would say that we were quite successful in that, having in mind that our work was disrupted by the pandemic for almost two years. "

Stimac also opened up on the Indian team’s preparations for next year’s massive tournament.

"Last year in Kolkata, we played three beautiful games where we proved to everyone that when we get proper time to work, we can achieve better and play good football. But it's the second step that is the most challenging one," he said.

"We are well aware that we're going to face the continent's best teams in the 2023 Asian Cup. And to do well in such a competition, we need to organise ourselves in a different way, with different style of football and maintain verticality in our game.

"At the moment, we are not completely ready for the Asian Cup. In this March window, we will be crediting players for their achievements this season, recognising their performances, and giving them a chance to fight for a place in the team.

"The competition for places in the final squad for the Asian Cup will go all the way until the end. "

He added:

"Our focus now is on all players involved in Indian Football – whether it is the Hero Santosh Trophy or the Hero I-League.

"So, I'm using this opportunity to invite all these boys who are dreaming about representing their country in the Asian Cup to work on themselves and put in lots of hard work. "

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"I'm quite sure that the upcoming months will be the best for Sunil Chhetri" – India head coach Igor Stimac

Igor Stimac has also provided opportunities for several youngsters during his time as the head coach. He has done so while maintaining a strong core that includes the likes of veterans Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, and Sandesh Jhingan.

However, the core setup appears to be slowly changing, with players who have been a part of the national team over the past few years now picking up the baton. Speaking about this change, Stimac stated:

"In my first two years, we gave the chance to many players. It seemed to many people and followers of football in India that we were somehow experimenting. No, we were looking for those players who can handle the pressure of international football.

"We were giving chances to everyone who was doing well domestically. As simple as that. The door of the national team was wide open. "

"Regarding the change in the core group of players, we need to understand that some of them are of a certain age now. It's difficult to say, but goodbyes need to come sometime."

He added:

"Sunil Chhetri was nowhere to be seen this season. He was on the bench, waiting, preparing himself, working to take his weight down a few kilos, which is very difficult to handle at this age. But when it was most needed, he was there for his club, helping them, and taking them to the finals. He scored the most decisive goals. "

"At his age, this will probably be his farewell from football. I'm quite sure that the upcoming months will be the best for Sunil Chhetri.

"Along with him, Sandesh (Jhingan) and Gurpreet (Singh Sandhu) are the core strength of our team. But the rest of the team is just comprised of youngsters. They are our future, which is amazing because that's something which we can build on.

"We need to be patient with them. And I'm quite sure that the experience our young players have got in the last four years will serve them well at the Asian Cup."

Myanmar and Kyrgyz Republic are India’s opponents in the upcoming international break. Asked about his assessment of the two teams, Stimac delivered a detailed answer on their style of play and what the Blue Tigers can expect during the tournament.

"Yes, we have analysed our opponents. Myanmar are the lower-ranked one but they have changed their approach to the game in the last few years.

"They try to play middle-press football, which could be challenging because if you don't break them down in the first 45 minutes, it gets more and more difficult. It's all about patience, quick passing and going into the final third with quality against such teams."

He continued:

"Kyrgyz Republic are a very well-organised side. They are better ranked than us. They play very good quality football.

"I was watching their game against Russia. They played wonderful football against such a strong and competitive side. They have many quality players with strength and speed. It's going to be very interesting. "

A tough challenge beckons for India, but Stimac unquestionably has his eyes on the prize. He opened up about his desire to win the tournament in aid of boosting the national team’s confidence.

"Winning it. We are the hosts, and we're going to do absolutely everything to win the tournament. Obviously, it's not going to be easy because we've got a lot of players who will be involved in the Hero ISL Final, who will be physically and mentally exhausted," Stimac said.

"And my job is to regenerate them, help them bounce back and find the strength and ability to play these two games and represent India in a good way."

The tri-nation tournament will be played in Imphal from March 22-28. Fourteen players will report to the camp on March 15. The remaining nine, who are set to play in the Indian Super League final between Bengaluru FC and ATK Mohun Bagan, will arrive on March 19.