There is not much hope in aspiring for exceptional results in the Asian Cup as India’s 0-3 loss against Qatar in the group league stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers here at the Kalinga Stadium on Tuesday offered a good reality check in that regard, felt the senior men’s team head coach Igor Stimac.
The National coach felt that his side will not have enough preparation time ahead of the Asian Cup and that it will make it very difficult for his players to do well against superiorly ranked opponents like Australia (27), Uzbekistan (74) and Syria (92).
He said it will be better for India to focus on the World Cup 2026 qualification bid as it has made a bright start by beating Kuwait at home and can reach the next stage by becoming the second team in the final group standings.
