India’s journey in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers began with a promising away win against Kuwait, but the initial spark soon faded, leaving behind a trail of disappointment. Despite early optimism, Igor Stimac’s team ultimately missed out on advancing to the final qualifying round of the Asian Zone after suffering a contentious 1-2 defeat to Qatar in Doha.
The past eight months of Stimac’s five-year tenure were marred by subpar performances, with India stumbling from one setback to another. Following their triumphant start in Kuwait City, India lost six of their eight fixtures, conceding 13 goals while managing only two goals scored. Their struggles continued as they finished bottom of their group in the AFC Asian Cup, failing to score a single goal. They also suffered a home loss to Afghanistan, ranked significantly lower, and drew with Kuwait, jeopardizing their chances of progressing to the next round.
Stimac, a World Cup semifinalist with Croatia, arrived in India in 2019 with grand ambitions, promising to transform the national team and escape the clutches of defensive, long-ball football. He brought in fresh faces from the 2017 under-17 World Cup team, hoping to inject youthful energy and talent. However, his tenure was marked by inconsistency and a lack of tangible progress. Despite claiming to have done extensive research on the Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League, Stimac was rarely seen at matches, preferring to monitor the leagues from his home in Zagreb.
Despite India’s recent domestic success, winning three consecutive titles in 2023, Stimac failed to translate this momentum onto the international stage. His tenure ends with a modest 35.8% win rate in 53 matches, with only two victories over higher-ranked opponents. As the losses mounted, Stimac became increasingly adept at deflecting responsibility, often blaming players, the league, referees, or a lack of time with the team. An extended training camp, touted as a solution to the team’s problems, failed to produce the desired results.
With the All India Football Federation finally ending Stimac’s reign, the search for a new coach begins. The federation would be wise to avoid chasing another high-profile name and instead focus on a coach with experience in Indian club football. Considering India’s aspirations of breaking into the top 10 in Asia, they could consider someone like Park Hang-seo, who has achieved success at the continental level. The Korean coach, a former assistant to Guus Hiddink, guided Vietnam to the semifinals of the 2018 Asian Games and the quarterfinals of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
The key to success for Indian football lies in a bottom-up approach. The Federation’s main focus should be on developing a robust youth program that consistently produces talented players capable of competing at the highest level, including regular participation in the FIFA under-17 World Cup.
