Not allowing complacency to step in, we know what we need to do: Stimac

The Blue Tigers are just one win away from winning the SAFF Championship but they understand that the job is not yet done as there's still a match left to be conquered - the summit clash against Nepal.

"We are not allowing complacency to step in. We are aware of what we need to do. There is a very tiny line between being confident and overconfident and I am keeping a close eye that we don't cross that line," head coach Igor Stimac stated in an official release.

"We are rising as a group, as a team and as a big family playing better football with every given day. We have to be patient, keep working hard and be confident. Nepal are a known opponent to us, as much we are to them. We take confidence in having won the last two matches. But I reiterate, we are not overconfident," Stimac added.

The Blue Tigers had their practice session earlier on Friday, and the to and fro travel was extremely turbulent - the Indian Ocean being extremely rough which led to some of the boys experiencing nausea.

The team news stays that three players have already been ruled out of the final - besides, Farukh Choudhury (ACL injury), Brandon Fernandes (quadriceps injury), and Subhashish Bose (suspended owing to a red card) are not available for selection.

Assistant Coach Shanmugam Venkatesh maintained that the boys need to "enjoy the final".

"Nepal are an extremely competitive team, and the motivation of playing for both teams in a final is quite normal. We respect Nepal as a team. We have told our boys to enjoy the final," Venkatesh, who won two SAFF Championships as a player, uttered.

"It gives us the satisfaction that there are some boys from the U-17 World Cup batch who are settling in fast into the Senior Team. The players realise the importance of the final and the character on display after the first two games have been exemplary. Youngsters like Lalengmawia, Suresh, Yasir have played a huge role on and off the pitch, while the seniors have gelled well with Sunil, Gurpreet, Kotal, Subhashish, and Bheke leading from the front to keep the flag flying high," he expressed.

"But we know the work is not done yet. So we are working on the recovery process, trying to eat, sleep and rest well and step on the pitch and win a trophy." The kick-off against Nepal on Saturday (October 16, 2021) is at IST 8.30 pm.

( With inputs from ANI )