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We Have Nothing To Lose But A Hell Of A Lot To Gain: Igor Stimac On Qatar Match

Head coach Igor Stimac on Monday said that India have nothing to lose but a hell of a lot to gain in their 2026 FIFA World Cup round 2 qualifiers match against Asian champions Qatar on Tuesday. India's 1-0 away win against Kuwait on November 16 will certainly boost their confidence but Stimac made it clear that "Qatar is out of our league", though the home side will seek to take inspiration from their famous goal-less draw against the Asian champions four years ago. "The Kuwait game was the most important game in our qualifiers in this group. We had an away win against our direct opponent for the second spot," Stimac said at the pre-match press conference. "We are very realistic, we know that Qatar is out of our league. But we also know that this is football, the most beautiful game in the world which provides opportunities and this is our opportunity." Stimac urged his players to consider Tuesday's match at the Kalinga Stadium as any other game and give their best.

Ticket Revenues From Qatar Asian Cup To Support Palestinians

Ticket revenues for the Asian Cup 2023 in Qatar are to be donated to support Palestinian relief efforts, the football tournament's local organising committee announced on Monday, as Israel's bombardment of Gaza continued. "We have decided to donate ticketing revenue generated from the Asian Cup in Qatar to much needed relief efforts in Palestine," the committee's chairman said without giving details on what proportion of sales would be given in aid. "We will be certain that this corporate social responsibility initiative will benefit those most affected, and that football fulfils its role as a support mechanism for people during the most difficult of times," Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani added.