Ashique kuruniyan

FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: As the anticipation of playing two matches against Kuwait and Qatar in the FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifier matches is exciting, head coach Igor Stimac said once the players, who are missing now, are back, the team will show strength on the pitch, no matter who they play against.

India are set to face Kuwait in their opening Group A fixture at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City on November 16 before returning home to take on Qatar at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar in November.

Sharing his views on the upcoming showdown and the preparations, Stimac said, as quoted by AIFF.com: "We have entered the new phase of our work, and we know it's going to be very hard and difficult on the boys. We are very optimistic about what's ahead of us. We know that the next few months until March will be very difficult. We might face some problems during this process.