"We Were Disappointed But...": India Optimistic Despite Loss To Australia In AFC Asian Cup

India head coach Igor Stimac lauded his boys for the sheer heart they showed at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Doha, Qatar, despite the 0-2 defeat against Australia in their opening Group B Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup match on Saturday. "I am proud of my boys. They showed that they are a bunch of honest, hard-working people who are committed to whatever we ask of them. They are ready to keep working without sleep, and I must praise them for it," said Stimac after the game, as quoted by an All India Football Federation (AIFF) press release.

"They love coming to the national team camp, and they love working with the national team staff," he said.

Given the gap between the two teams in the world ranking, a 0-2 loss for the Blue Tigers against the Socceroos did not come as a huge surprise to football fans.

However, it also showed that a side placed 102nd in the FIFA World Rankings can thwart a team placed 77 places above them. And India did keep the mighty Aussies out for 50 minutes before a fatal error saw the Blue Tigers punished after all the good work.

For India, it was all about separate emotions in two halves, as Australia scored both their goals after the half-time break. While the Croat expressed his frustration at facing such opponents, he was also content with the end result.

"It is frustrating when you have to play teams like 'these.' It would probably not have been so, had it not been a team of Australia's calibre. The second half was not good for us. We could not get out of the zone. The expectations were on the Australian players. They are game-ready, so I am overall happy with the result," he said.

A true warrior on the pitch, Sandesh Jhingan led India's defensive efforts, which were appreciated