The Indian men’s football team will be in action after many months as they prepare themselves to take on Mongolia in the Intercontinental Cup in Bhubaneshwar. Ahead of the tournament opener head coach Igor Stimac looked very confident as he expects his team to do well and win the trophy.
The inaugural edition of the Intercontinental Cup was won by the Blues Tigers when they defeated Kenya in the finals in 2018. The following edition was not ideal for India as they did not even register a victory in the tournament. North Korea came out victorious.
However, this time they are here to change the narrative and win the trophy again and for that, they have had an extended training session in Bhubaneswar. Stimac believes that his team can win the trophy for the second time. “We’re expecting to win the tournament, and that’s why we’re here. We’ll do everything possible to make that happen,” he stated at the pre-match press conference.
The Blue Tigers are preparing for the upcoming Asian Cup next year. India will participate in several such tournaments in the coming months to sharpen their skills. India have been clubbed with heavyweights like Australia, Syria and Uzbekistan.
Stimac feels that the team needs to grab onto every opportunity that they get before the tournament. He feels each opponent will pose a unique threat and will help in preparation. “Although our opponents (in the Hero Intercontinental Cup) are not as tough as the teams we’ll face in the Asian Cup, they’re still good and competitive,” he added.
Speaking about their latest opponents Mongolia, Stimac said that the East Asian team are aggressive with their pressure and will maintain a strong midfield presence. He also highlighted how their players will be in shape as the Mongolian League is still going on.
“Mongolia are a very tough and compact side, plays aggressive football, especially in the first 25-30 minutes. They employ a high press and maintain a strong midfield presence, denying opponents time and space on the ball. Therefore, we need to be wise in our approach. It is important for us to be physical and play with a vertical style.” Stimac stated.
This is the first time India will play Mongolia and Stimac does not want to underestimate them just because of their poor FIFA ranking of 183. “Even though they may find it difficult to adapt to the warm weather here, their players are arriving in competitive form as the Mongolian league is going on at the moment,” he added.
Indian captain Sunil Chhetri enjoys playing in the Intercontinental Cup. He has shone for India in the last two editions, scoring 11 out of 16 goals netted by the Blue Tigers. He highlights how the team is raring to take the field against Mongolia and play in Odisha for the first time.
“Me and the boys are very excited. It’s strange that we’ve never played in Bhubaneswar or anywhere in Odisha before in my career, so we’re really happy to be here. Everything from our hospitality to training pitches has been top-notch, and we’ve made good use of the three weeks here. Hopefully, we don’t have just three games here but four (including the final),” said the captain.
India will start their Intercontinental Cup journey against Mongolia, followed by their match against Vanuatu on June 12 and lastly, they will play Lebanon on June 15. The top two teams will then play in the title clash.
