PANAJI: Given the number of Indian football fans in Qatar, national team coach Igor Stimac feels his team will " feel at home" for the AFC Asian Cup 2023, but he isn't putting any pressure on the team to deliver results at the continental tournament.
India find themselves in a tough group that includes World Cuppers Australia, strong Uzbekistan and Syria. Injuries have crippled the team with three regulars - Anwar Ali, Jeakson Singh and Ashique Kuruniyan - all missing, while others have also been sidelined.
India landed in Doha late on Saturday and were greeted by several fans cheering. Stimac's team will have plenty of support when they face Australia in the opener on January 13, though unlike 2019, they will find the going tough in the group stage.
"This group is much, much stronger than in 2019," Stimac told reporters during a virtual interaction on Sunday. "Whatever we do, as many points as we get, would be fantastic.
The most important thing for us is to have a good performance and to play stable football. I am not thinking about results, not putting any pressure on the players."
India begin their campaign against Australia, "one of the favourites here," according to Stimac. The 1998 Fifa World Cup bronze medal winner ranked his side as "outsiders in the group" and was all praise for Uzbekistan, "one of the dark horses of the tournament with fantastic recent results."
As for India, Stimac hoped they would continue to play "fearless football," never mind the opposition. "Our top priority this year is to qualify for the third round of the World Cup Qualifiers as all these games from the Asian Cup."
