India Coach Igor Stimac Suspended: SAFF Championship Takes a Turn with 2 Match Ban for Red Card Offences
Igor Stimac has been suspended for 2 matches
Igor Stimac, the Indian football team’s coach, has been banned for two matches and fined $500 for a red card offence during the SAFF Championship match against Kuwait. According to the All India Football Federation (AIFF), “Indian football coach Igor Stimac has been banned for two matches and fined $500 for a red card offence during the match against Kuwait.” This is his second yellow card of the tournament. Prior to this, he received a red card against Pakistan during India’s debut campaign.
In the SAFF Championship semi-finals, India will face Lebanon. India and Kuwait drew 1-1 in the last Group A match of the SAFF Championship 2023 at the Sri Kantirava Stadium in Bengaluru. Lebanon had previously defeated Maldives 1-0.
India has risen one spot to 100th in the new FIFA Men’s Ranking, which was revealed on Thursday, thanks to their Intercontinental Cup win. “India has climbed higher in the latest FIFA Men’s World Ranking, and we are consistently progressing in #IndianFootball,” the AIFF tweeted on Thursday. Stimac remarked in a statement issued by the AIFF following the release of the rankings, “I am happy with this news, but we need to strengthen our position in the upcoming matches.”
Captain @chetrisunil11 and Assistant Coach Mahesh Gawali reiterate the point that 🇮🇳 is fully prepared and focused for the semifinal clash against 🇱🇧
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 30, 2023
Watch the full pre-match press conference👉🏽 https://t.co/e0WKxOgSGb#SAFFChampionship2023 #LBNIND #BlueTigers #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/uQI2EHZHz0
When it came to the encounter versus Kuwait, it was a fast-paced and high-tempo affair from start to end, with Sunil Chhetri’s 92nd international goal putting India ahead just before halftime. However, Anwar Ali’s tragic own goal during injury time in the second half ended India’s hopes of remaining at the top of the group. “I am happy with our performance against Kuwait,” Stimac said of the forthcoming games, “but we need to strengthen our position in the next few matches.”
“𝙄𝙜𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙞𝙨𝙚, 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨” 💙
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 29, 2023
“I'm very happy with the boys. They are coming very close to the level where I want them to be,” says coach @stimac_igor 💪🏽🔥
Read more 👉🏽 https://t.co/3AKXNlV7Q6#IndianFootball ⚽️ #BlueTigers 🐯 pic.twitter.com/MeD8IebWgY
Despite Stimac’s dismissal for fouling Abdul Samad in the first half, Kuwait continued to delay and prevent West Asians from starting fast, resulting in scuffles in which Hamad Al-Khalaf and Raheem Ali were issued red cards.
It was, though, a brutal end to India’s seven-match clean sheet streak. Anwar Ali attempted to clear a cross from Abdullah Al-Buloushi on the right side, but it went unnoticed into the Indian net. While the visuals on the pitch were awful, the fans at Kantirava kept the Blue Tigers’ heads up high, singing loudly throughout the night to demonstrate their pride in a team that fought till the end but couldn’t achieve the victory.
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