'Indian fans can be the difference at Asian Cup,' feels coach Igor Stimac

The Australians were at their attacking best but Sunil Chhetri`s men managed to avoid a bigger margin of defeat (Pic: PTI)

Igor Stimac says that India's massed ranks of vocal fans can be the difference when his underdogs face a tough Uzbekistan test at the Asian Cup in Qatar on Thursday.

There are an estimated 750,000 Indians living in Qatar, which has a population of nearly three million, and Indians fans roared on their team despite an opening 2-0 defeat to Australia. There was a crowd of over 36,000 at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Doha for the Asian Cup game on Saturday, most of them Indian, and Stimac is anticipating an even bigger turnout against Uzbekistan.

"We are expecting a huge number, an even bigger number now in this match," the India coach, a former international defender for Croatia, said on Wednesday. The game against Australia kicked off in the early afternoon but it will be a later start time of 5:30 pm (1430 GMT) against Uzbekistan.

Stimac, part of the Croatia side that reached the 1998 World Cup semi-finals, believes that will mean even more Indian fans coming out. "It's a much better kickoff time, much more convenient for them to attend," said the 56-year-old.

"They might be the crucial point for us in this game, and once again, a huge, huge thanks to all of them." Uzbekistan, ranked 68 in the world to India's 102, began their Asian Cup with a 0-0 draw against Syria.

Also Read: After Aus loss, skipper Chhetri shifts focus to Uzbekistan

After a gritty performance against formidable Australia, India aim to assert themselves better than what they managed in the opening game. India lost to title-contenders Australia 0-2 in the opening match on January 13 after denying the Socceroos any success for 50 minutes. The Australians were at their attacking best but Sunil Chhetri's men managed to avoid a bigger margin of defeat.

The defensive compactness, especially in the first half, would be something that the Indians would like to continue against the Uzbeks, who are a bit disappointed after playing out a 0-0 draw against Syria in their opening match.

For sure, India will not sit back too deep against Uzbekistan. Instead, they would look to play their own game and press for counter-attacks with quick transition. The likes of Chhetri, Manvir Singh and other forwards could be looking for chances which were almost non-existent against the Australians.

(With agency inputs)