India's Croatian coach Igor Stimac looks on before the 2026 FIFA World Cup AFC qualifiers football match between Qatar and India at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on June 11, 2024. (Photo by Karim JAAFAR / AFP)India’s head coach Igor Stimac has been sacked after the team’s poor performance in World Cup qualifiers, the football federation said Monday. India’s 2-1 defeat to Qatar earlier this month dashed their dreams of reaching the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the World Cup for the first time. “Noting the disappointing outcome of the Senior Men’s National Team’s FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification campaign, the members unanimously agreed that a new Head Coach would be best placed to take the team forward,” the All India Football Federation (AIFF) said in a statement. After India’s defeat to Qatar, Stimac condemned what he called an “irregular” goal.

Source: Punch June 17, 2024 16:34 UTC