Intercontinental Cup | I have strong belief in Indian youngsters, reveals Igor Stimac

Igor Stimac, who was appointed as the new India coach in May, has led the national team to a win and a draw in five matches in the King's Cup and the Intercontinental Cup over the last two months. 18-year old Narender Gehlot's maiden goal earned Stimac his first draw with the side as India slumped to the last spot in the Intercontinental Cup which the team won last year.

Stimac reckons that he has a strong belief in the Indian youngsters in his setup and will continue to support them in the coming months.

“Whoever scores, each goal comes as a team effort. I’m happy for him because the first game was not too good. We were not happy about that, but why? Because I know how much he can do. A boy like him with a lot of quality in his legs must play as confidently as he did today.

“He has to go out, score goals and show Indians that we have young quality players who are the future of the country. Congratulations to the players for putting on a fantastic show. We have Narender (Gahlot) and many more youngsters to come. If I as a coach don’t take the risk and responsibility to give them the chance to play, nobody will. I have a strong belief, I have seen how much they can do on the training ground. There will be ups and downs but that is the only way to help the players grow,” Stimac said.

On Wednesday, the World Cup 2022 qualifiers draw are scheduled to be held and Stimac claimed that India will need to respect every opponent but fear none.

“We need to respect everyone. Not only the teams from the first pot but also those from the fifth pot. This tournament shows you that football is a very strange game. The finals will be played by two teams with the lowest FIFA rankings in this tournament.

“So that is telling you that everyone can beat everyone. We don’t fear everyone. We respect everyone and that is the way I will teach my team. Respect to you, but we are going to try to win. We are just at the beginning of our journey and I hope that it will be a very long one,” Stimac added.