Indian football team head coach Igor Stimac had made his wishlist clear to his players before the Oman game. He wanted them to play fearless...
Indian football team head coach Igor Stimac had made his wishlist clear to his players before the Oman game. He wanted them to play fearless football without any pressure, be more effective in the final third and compete physically for the whole duration of the game against stronger opponents.
At the end of the ninety minutes at Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium in Dubai, the Croatian got his wishes partly granted.
For Manvir Singh’s goal, India were as precise as they have ever been in the final third under Stimac. Bipin Singh’s sumptuous cross was put away by the ATK Mohun Bagan forward as India, very much against the run of play, produced a moment of real quality.
Against a physically superior Oman, India were often second-best but did well to not be overwhelmed by the strength of Branko Ivankovic’s team. In fact, the Blue Tigers grew into the game and looked more comfortable as the game wore on.
But as far as playing fearless football is concerned, India fell short. There were nerves aplenty in the Indian side that had six debutants in the starting line-up. The Blue Tigers often rushed their passes in an attempt to bypass the Omani press but lacked precision....
