Igor Stimac eyes Europe for eight-week camp ahead of World Cup qualifiers

India is already out of the race for in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, having failed to win a single match so far, even though they’ve been pitted with weaker teams like Bangladesh and Afghanistan. But they can still make a cut to the 2023 AFC Asian Cup if they manage to win at least a couple of matches in their remaining fixtures. Head coach Igor Stimac has already shortlisted three possible destinations for camps ahead of the qualifiers, but the plan is still undone due to the International travel bans in place due to the pandemic.

“It’s difficult to plan right now because nobody knows anything. Air traffic is closed and I am stuck here (in Croatia). Hopefully, we will have clarity soon. I will need eight weeks to prepare the team and also some friendlies, which we can arrange whether at home or away,” said Igor Stimac, as reported by The Times of India. 

If the travel restrictions get lifted anytime soon, we could see the Blue Tigers train in Croatia, Turkey, and Slovenia. Sunil Chhetri and Co. is slated to play against Asian champions Qatar on October 8, followed by an away match against Bangladesh on November 12. After that Stimac’s boys will complete their set of group stage matches against Afghanistan at home on November 17.