Stimac says he's "impressed" by talent on display in I-League

Indian football team head coach Igor Stimac is "impressed" by the talent on display in the I-League after he watched two matches earlier this month.

He said he's looking forward to watching more matches.

"It was fantastic to witness 2 @ILeagueOfficial matches in Mumbai and Goa and I'm really impressed with the talents," Stimac tweeted.

"Looking forward to see more action in coming days," he added.

The Croatian was in the stands in Mumbai earlier this month when the Indian Arrows played Kolkata giants East Bengal (February 17) at the Cooperage Stadium. He also witnessed the match between Mohun Bagan and Churchill Brothers in Margao (February 22).

The former Croatia World Cupper handed the Hero of the Match award to Fran Gonzalez as the Mariners extended their lead at the top of the I-League table with a 3-0 win.

During the launch of the I-League 2019-20 in November last year, Stimac had said "every Indian player in the Hero I-League is a potential candidate for a place in the senior team".

"I will keep coming to watch the matches whenever I can. The players need to know that each player in the Hero I-League with an Indian passport is one of the possible future candidates for the national team. It's up to them how they perform for their respective teams," he had said.

India, already out of contention for a FIFA 2022 World Cup berth, play Asian champions Qatar in Bhubaneswar on March 26.