Our plan is to secure the second spot and qualify: India’s head coach Igor Stimac

Indian football team head coach Igor Stimac has set his eye on finishing among the top two in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers group. India has been drawn into Group A of the 2026 World Cup second-round qualifiers matches, which includes Qatar, Kuwait, and Afghanistan. The Blue Tigers will travel to Kuwait on November 16 before facing Qatar in Bhubaneswar on November 21.

The national team will have to be at their absolute best to get the desired results and Stimac will aim to get the best out of his players against tough opponents.

India is currently placed at 102nd place in the FIFA Rankings for teams and they will have their work cut out.

“The group is very tough and challenging because we know there will be no easy opponents, and they are the top teams. So, apart from that, from the third pot, we got by far the best opponents available (Kuwait). So, the group is tough at the moment, but we need to approach it game by game and prepare for it,” Stimac said in an interview with the-aiff.com.

“And as far as I’m concerned and with my experience in football, November to March will be difficult. To prepare well and to make sure that the national team gets enough time to secure the second spot in the group and qualify – that is our plan,” he further said.

Stimac has already announced a 28-man probable list for the two matches against Kuwait and Qatar, with players like Anwar Ali, Jeakson Singh, and Ashique Kuruniyan unavailable due to their respective injuries.

“The focus at the moment is how to replace those boys who were starting 11 players, such as Ashique Kuruniyan, Anwar Ali, and Jeakson Singh. They were our strength in the latest successes we had. These boys played very good football; they were adding extra value to the whole team,” Stimac revealed.

“We need to find a way to make a new composition to balance the team, which will provide strength, especially at the back because we started conceding some goals, which I did not like lately, although some of the goals came after very poor refereeing decisions. That’s our priority now, but anyway, I’m glad to see that the boys are playing regularly in ISL, and most of them are taking main roles in their teams and playing with lots of responsibility. It is a good and positive thing for the national team,” he said.