The contract of national men’s Football team coach Igor Stimac has been extended till September 2022, with the Asian Cup qualifiers in mind, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) said on Monday.
The technical committee of the AIFF, led by former India international Shyam Thapa, suggested this.
“The committee deliberated at length, and reached a consensus that in view of the external factors which has had a huge impact on the footballing world in general, and with the national team all set to begin their campaign in their quest to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup China 2023, head coach Igor Stimac be given an extension of his contract till September 2022,” the AIFF said in a statement.
The AFC Asian Cup qualifiers will take place between February and September of next year.
Stimac, one of the most well-known coaches in Indian men’s football, was appointed to the top job in May 2019 for a two-year tenure and has had mixed performances since then.
Stimac’s last contract, which he extended on May 15, was effective through September after he guided Croatia to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
While the team hasn’t won many games under Stimac, the former West Ham United defender has provided several talented young players with an opportunity to express themselves on the field.
The Croatian was in charge of the team’s qualifications for the 2022 World Cup and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, which were drawn in Group E.
India finished third in the group with seven points, advancing to the third round of Asian Cup qualifiers while failing to advance to the next round of World Cup qualifiers.
The technical committee’s head, Thapa, requested that Stimac “come up with a clear long-term plan to move Indian football forward together.”
Kushal Das, the AIFF’s general secretary, and Savio Medeira, the federation’s temporary technical director, were also present at the meeting.
