India football team coach Igor Stimac reckons talismanic captain, who is COVID-19 positive, is important for the team and will be missed but wants the squad to make a group effort sans the striker in the upcoming friendlies against Oman (March 25) and UAE (March 29)
India football team captain Sunil Chhetri
The India football team are set to play their first international game in over a year due to the Coronavirus-caused break and they will be without their talismanic captain Sunil Chhetri, 36, who tested positive for the virus recently. Head coach Igor Stimac called the striker’s absence unfortunate but urged the team to step up.
The Blue Tigers are currently in Dubai, where they will play friendlies against Oman (March 25) and UAE (March 29).
Stimac, 53, who finished third with Croatia in the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, heaped praise on Chhetri, who has 72 goals in 115 appearances for the national side, and said his presence is important for the team.
“It’s unfortunate that Sunil [Chhetri] is not with us. He will be missed. His presence is very important for the team. He is a great motivator and has a huge influence on the youngsters. We hope that he comes back to us even more motivated for upcoming matches,” Stimac said during a live chat on All India Football Federation’s Instagram handle on Thursday.
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India football team coach Igor Stimac
The former Croatian national team coach drew confidence from India’s performances without Chhetri, against host nation Thailand (1-0) and Qatar (0-0) during the 2019 King's Cup, and said the boys will be extra motivated.
“In terms of his [Chhetri’s] replacement, the answers were provided against Thailand and Qatar in the King's Cup. And the boys have proved that they can do and are enormously motivated to do it when Sunil is not there as they have a point to prove. Though he cannot be replaced individually, he needs to be replaced with team effort. Hope the boys will do it once again,” said the former centre-back, who made 53 appearances for Croatia.
Stimac also lauded Chhetri’s strong mentality and constant desire to improve.
“There are not many players of his age playing at the highest level. If you see how Sunil was performing in the ISL this season, you can see how much he has improved his game. Even though Bengaluru FC were not doing great, his numbers prove he has improved a lot. It shows he is still motivated to keep going on which is very important for the youngsters who are developing and learning from his knowledge. I hope that he stays motivated as he still has room for improvement and can help in the development of the team,” Stimac remarked.
India football team during a training session in Dubai
Explaining the team selection for the upcoming friendlies, Stimac stated that it was a combination of different criteria. “It is a conglomeration of youth, experience and performance. Some players have proved already that they can play well at the international level. But most of the players who are here are on the merit of their performances in the ISL. So they have earned their call. I’m looking for players who can stand up to my expectations,” Stimac explained.
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