AFC Asian Cup 2023: I'm Not Magician, Says Igor Stimac After Loss To Syria; Promises To Take India Into 3rd Round of World Cup Qualifiers

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March 14 2026, 05:00 PM

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Igor Stimac said that success for Indian football team won't come overnight as he has no magic wand in his hand after the Blue Tigers went out of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 with a 0-1 defeat to Syria in Al Khor on Tuesday (January 23).

However, the India head coach promised he would take India to the third round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Igor Stimac and his men lost all of their three group matches in the AFC Asian Cup 2023 and finished bottom of the group.

igor-stimac-GI — Igor Stimac (Photo: AIFF)

"I have no magic wand in my hand, I am not a magician," said Igor Stimac at the post-match press conference at the Al Bayt Stadium. "I am a hardworking guy, who is asking you to turn things around and be patient. Good things in football won't happen overnight. I will take you (India) to the third round in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in 12 months' time, I promise you that. But after that, we have to speed things up."

Prior to the team's departure to AFC Asian Cup 2023, Igor Stimac made it clear that the continental tournament is not going to be the Indian team's priority this year as he wasn't allotted the one-month training camp before the tournament. The Indian team trained in Doha for close to two weeks after top-tier clubs refused to leave their star players early with the Indian Super League season underway.

India have never qualified for the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers third round in the past but have opened up a chance after defeating Kuwait 1-0 away back in November. Stimac has mentioned in the past that finishing second in Group B of combined WC and Asian Cup Qualifiers is realistic target behind Qatar.

In the past, the 56-year-old Croatian has stressed that Blue Tigers need to get positive result in home and away match against Afghanistan and make the most out of home advantage against Kuwait while Qatar are out of their reach. Qatar already defeated India 3-0 in Bhubaneswar with the return leg pending.