FIFA World Cup Qualifiers | Know how tough the Oman game will be, admits Igor Stimac

FIFA World Cup Qualifiers | Know how tough the Oman game will be, admits Igor Stimac

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AIFF

Indian football team coach Igor Stimac has admitted that the game will be tough against Oman at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat on Tuesday for their fifth match of the qualifiers, as he provided an update on the squad. Indian captain Sunil Chhetri shared his thoughts on the match.

India will travel to Muscat to face Oman for their fifth match of the World Cup Qualifiers as the Blue Tigers look for a desperate win to keep their faint hopes alive against a strong Oman side. However, head coach Igor Stimac has admitted how tough the Oman game will be.

"We have reached Muscat today. We have had a night stay in Dubai and it helped the players get a good rest, We will have a training session in Muscat today evening to finetune our preparation before taking on Oman. We know how tough the game will be. So we have to make sure all players stay fit and deliver maximum on 19th." Igor Stimac told reporters, Sportstar reported.

Last week, India played out a draw against Afghanistan at the Central Republican Stadium in Dushanbe in Tajikistan in a cold weather. However, in Muscat, Indians would face extreme heat at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.

“We are physically very fit and the players are not getting bogged down on the pitch or suffering cramps. Conditionally, we’re doing well too. The recovery has been taken care of as per the plan, and that’s the reason players have adapted to different weather conditions naturally.” said Stimac.

India are currently fourth on the table with only three points and their only loss came against Oman in Guwahati and they held onto draws in their next three fixtures. Last week, against Afganistan India held on to draw by a late Seiminlen Doungel's equalizer. However, Stimac expressed his satisfaction with the chances created.

"Qatar and Oman are two favourites in our group. The difference between the other three (Afghanistan, Bangladesh and India) is very less. Against Afghanistan, my team performed in the second half. This is a team for the future and we are in the process of becoming a tough team to play against. We had created chances to win every match until now. We even created chances against Qatar in the last minutes. We're improving gradually and that's what makes me proud.” Stimac added.

Moreover, the Croatian coach spoke about the Blue Tigers concern on the field. “We are a unit that passes the ball confidently but we have to keep in mind that we are making too many mistakes and giving away possession. We have to work further on this,” the Croatian coach spoke about his concern.

Captain Sunil Chhetri who was with the coach shared his thoughts on the crucial fixture against Oman. “We have to make sure we stay disciplined and play as a tough unit who anyone wouldn’t want to play against. It’s a massive game in the World Cup Qualifiers where we need to gain points from.” Chhetri said.

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