Asian Cup qualifiers: With a 'wonderful headache', Stimac's India eye the 'big prize'

Stimac's India brace for Hong Kong's challenge at that Salt Lake Stadium here on Tuesday, looking for a perfect end to their Asian Cup qualifying campaign. Both teams go into the contest with six points each, but Jorn Anderson's Hong Kong are topping the standings thanks to a better goal difference. Winners of six groups, now in action across the continent, as well as five best-placed runners-up will join the already qualified 13 teams in next year's Asian Cup.

Given the standings in other groups, both India and Hong Kong are favourably placed to make the cut. Aware of the proverbial slip between the cup and the lip, Stimac, however, stressed on Monday that his team would aim to seal the deal as a "winner." "There will be less pressure, obviously, but not less hunger and motivation. We need to go out and start playing the same way we did against Afghanistan to win this game against Hong Kong," the India coach said on Monday.

His captain, Sunil Chhetri echoed the sentiment. "There is a big prize at the end of this tournament, which is qualification to the Asian Cup. Even though we have done good in the last two games, we have not achieved anything yet.

We must end the tournament on a positive and perfect note," Chhetri maintained, while addressing the mediapersons. Stimac's team has never been far from the microscope, but this time around, it has shown the promise of flourishing against the odds, the never-say-die victory against Afghanistan being the latest case in point. And it is giving the coach a "wonderful headache".