India squared up against Afghanistan last week and produced a tepid performance that invited the wrath of fans who wondered if the team was regressing under the Croatian coach
Ahead of Indian men’s football team’s crucial FIFA World Cup Qualifiers match against Afghanistan, head coach Igor Stimac has said he will resign from the position if the team fails to qualify for the next round. 
India squared up against Afghanistan last week and produced a tepid performance that invited the wrath of fans who wondered if the team was regressing under the Croatian. 
“If I don’t take India to the third round I will leave, with my pride, with my honour on everything that was done here in the five years of work. I will leave my position to someone else,” Stimac said on the eve of India’s home leg fixture in Guwahati. 
The Indian team is currently second in the group with four points from three games. They could have opened up the gap against Kuwait, currently placed third in group, with a win against Afghanistan but the Blue Tigers looked lost, playing away from home. 
“We are disappointed with the first game, realistically it’s impossible to shine after long travel. We didn’t allow Afghanistan much in the previous game. We still remember how better we played against Oman in 2019 in this same venue,” said Stimac when quizzed about the previous match. 
“I think this Afghanistan team is far better than what they are. Ranking means nothing, we remember how well we managed Australia for 60 mins.”
The Indian side has never qualified for the third round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Anything less than a win on Tuesday would be a body blow to the hopes. 
Also read | Igor Stimac: Indian team has changed from kick and chase football to a more possession based game
Stimac’s job has been under scrutiny for some time due to the poor performance of the national team. Prior to the Asian Cup in January this year, Stimac remarked that he prioritised qualification to the third round over the continental cup as it booked a direct entry into the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
As a result, the team performed miserably in the Asian Cup, losing all three matches, without scoring a single goal while conceding six. Stimac has insisted that the scoring problem boils down to foreigners playing in the important positions in the Indian Super League (ISL) which means no one apart from Sunil Chettri is available for centre-forward position. 
While scoring might be a problem, fans are more worried that Stimac has imposed no identity or paying style on the team, despite being in-charge since 2019. The team still relies on old-fashioned, hoofing the long ball forward when put under pressure. 
(With inputs from agencies)

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