India, who lost to Oman 1-2 in their first match of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 joint qualifiers, are all set to take on Asian champions Qatar in their own backyard. Meanwhile, Indian coach Igor Stimac is well aware of the challenge that lies ahead but feels that “it is a great opportunity to learn from”.
“As soon as the Oman match ended, we shifted our focus immediately to the next match. Qatar are the strongest team in the group and playing them will not be easy. However, it’s a great opportunity to learn from,” Stimac told www.the-aiff.com.
The Croatian added that the Blue Tigers have “no reason to fear” ahead of the encounter.
“Obviously, we have to change 4-5 players,” Stimac said, adding, “We’ll see how everyone is feeling. There is no reason to fear and we shall look to score goals and play good football.”
The match between India and Qatar will take place at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar on Sunday.
As per the latest update of the FIFA world ranking, India are in 103rd place while the hosts – the defending Asian champions – are ranked at 62.