India's World Cup Hopes Crushed, Stimac's Future Uncertain

India's World Cup qualification hopes were dashed after a controversial 1-2 loss to Qatar in Doha, leaving coach Igor Stimac's future uncertain.

Stimac, who had previously vowed to step down if he failed to guide India to the third round, expressed hesitation about his future. "We need to discuss internally in the next few weeks where our futures stand," he said.

Despite the setback, Stimac remained optimistic about India's footballing future. "India has a good future in football," he asserted. "Our team is not that older than the Qatari team today."

Stimac's contract extension, which runs until June 2026, would have been automatically renewed if India had advanced to the third round. However, the team's underwhelming campaign, including a home loss to Afghanistan, has raised questions about Stimac's leadership.

Stimac believes that India's World Cup aspirations could be realized if Indian-origin players competing in European leagues were allowed to join the national team. "If we were allowed to use them, then India would qualify for the World Cup regularly," he said.

He criticized the lack of competitiveness in the Indian Super League (ISL), arguing that players need to experience high-pressure games throughout the season to prepare for international competition.

Tags: #IndianFootball, #WorldCupQualifiers, #IgorStimac, #Qatar, #ControversialLoss