Qatar strongest in our group, but nothing to fear: Stimac

Indian football coach Igor Stimac on Saturday said that his team has nothing to fear in its second World Cup qualifier against Asian champions Qatar despite coming off a painful 1-2 defeat in the campaign opener at home.

India let in two late goals -- in the 82nd and 90th minute -- after taking an early lead against Oman in Guwahati on Thursday to begin their campaign on a losing note.

India are playing their second game on Tuesday.

The team reached here on Saturday ahead of the match against Qatar, who had won the Asian Cup in January and are expected to pose a tougher challenge to the visitors.

"As soon as the Oman match ended, we shifted our focus immediately to the next match. Qatar are the strongest team in the group and playing them will not be easy. However, it's a great opportunity to learn from," Stimac said.

"Obviously, we have to change 4-5 players. We'll see how everyone is feeling. There is no reason to fear and we shall look to score goals and play good football."
"The first match was a tough one for sure but we started our recovery process in the gym the very next morning and everyone is getting in shape to now take on Qatar. It is a very important match for us and we will put our best foot forward."