Dushanbe (Tajikistan) Nov 13 (UNI) Hours after arriving in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, India head coach Igor Stimac stated that the Blue Tigers need to overcome “tough challenges” imposed by Afghanistan, besides braving adversities, when they face-off in the Group E encounter of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 preliminary joint Qualification Round 2 match at the Republican Central Stadium in Dushanbe tomorrow.
“We know how difficult this game is going to be for us. We both (India and Afghanistan) have already faced Qatar and Bangladesh in the qualifiers. We see Afghanistan as a physical side with good composure. They have some players who also have the experience of playing in Europe. They are not in the top division, but playing in Europe always gives you an extra bit of confidence. They have stamina and they’ll pose a tough challenge for us,” Stimac said in the pre-match press conference held in Dushanbe today.
Dushanbe welcomed the Blue Tigers contingent with chilly weather as the mercury hovered around 6-7° degrees Celsius. However, despite the low temperature, the fighting spirit of the Indian team remains high as ever.