Why is India head coach Igor Stimac not at pitch side in today’s SAFF Championship semi-final clash against Lebanon?

India are all set to face Lebanon in the highly anticipated semi-finals of the SAFF Championship 2023, but their head coach Igor Stimac will once again be absent on the sidelines.

During India's final group-stage match against Kuwait, the Croatian tactician was involved in two separate incidents with the match officials. It seemed evident that he became increasingly frustrated with the decisions, resulting in the referee giving him a yellow card around the hour mark for his protests.

The situation soon escalated as Stimac continued to argue with the fourth official. As a result, the referee issued him a second yellow card with around 10 minutes of regulation time left.

Subsequently, the Blue Tigers head coach watched the remainder of the game alongside the supporters while Kuwait equalized in stoppage time to snatch a point and top Group A at India’s expense.

In the post-match press conference, India's assistant coach Mahesh Gawli defended Stimac and highlighted the need to improve the refereeing standards in the SAFF Championship.

"It was the (fault of the) referees. Very very bad refereeing. If we continue with such referees in the SAFF Championship, the standards will drop. I think SAFF has to think about the referees. It was a high-intensity match and two quality teams were there - you need to (have) control," Gawli said.

This marks yet another incident where Stimac has lost his composure. In the opening match against Pakistan, he attempted to prevent Pakistan’s quick throw-in, which in turn turned into a chaotic situation between both sets of players.

Stimac was eventually sent off for his actions and missed the game following against Nepal. He will now face a two-match suspension, meaning that he will miss the final of the SAFF Championship if India beat Lebanon in the semi-finals.

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Indian skipper Sunil Chhetri discusses Igor Stimac’s suspension

While Stimac is absent for the semi-final clash against Lebanon, his assistant Mahesh Gawli, who has performed well in his absence, will step into Stimac's position.

Indian captain Sunil Chhetri assured that the team will step up to the task and look to secure a victory under Gawli’s guidance.

"A lot of preparation is done before the game day, where he (Stimac) will be involved. Of course, you want your leader to be on the sidelines. But whatever little we'll miss during the match, his main man (Gawali) will make sure we miss him less," Chhetri said.

Adding to India's challenges, they will be without Sandesh Jhingan as he is suspended after receiving two yellow cards. This absence is undoubtedly a significant setback considering Jhingan's imposing presence and his vital role in a defense that has conceded just once in the past eight games.

Furthermore, Rahim Ali will also be unavailable as he will serve his suspension following a red card for violent conduct. Despite the absence of key figures, India will hope to continue their fine form and book their place in the finals of the SAFF Championship 2023.