'Not disappointed with the result': Igor Stimac after the draw against Afghanistan

In the post-match press conference following India's goalless draw against Afghanistan in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2, Coach Igor Stimac shared his insights on the team's performance and the challenges they faced.

Stimac began by acknowledging the team's efforts, stating, "The match was interesting. I'm not disappointed with the result at the end because we created three, four really good chances. We couldn't score, which is obvious." Despite the draw, India managed to climb to the second spot in Group A, with four points from three matches.

However, Stimac expressed concern over India's goal drought, highlighting that the team hasn't scored in the last 127 days. "The problem which is following us for many, many years, it's a well-known problem in our football", he asserted.

When questioned about areas for improvement, Stimac emphasized the need to strengthen the midfield and attacking play. "Few things we need to improve, obviously, because simple things we complicated today in the offensive plan and I'm not happy about that. We need to be better in passing, better in creating chances and absolutely much better in attacking the box when the crosses are coming from the wing", he remarked.

Despite the challenges, Stimac remained optimistic about the team's prospects, "I would say that we were much closer to win this game with the chances we created. But obviously, the same old problem is following us", he said.

Looking ahead, India will face Afghanistan at home on 26th January, with Stimac and the team determined to address their shortcomings and deliver a stronger performance in the upcoming matches.