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India, ranked 101st in the world, are flying high this calendar year with an unbeaten record of six wins and one draw, including an impressive 4-0 victory over Pakistan on Wednesday to begin the 2023 South Asian Football Federation Championship.
They managed that win despite having their manager, 55-year-old Croatian Igor Štimac, sent off before halftime.
Already leading 2-0 off a Sunil Chhetri brace (he's not finished yet, Messi and Ronaldo!), Štimac still lost his mind in the 45th minute when the referee awarded Pakistan a throw-in instead of giving possession to India.
It was an incredibly inconsequential moment in an inconsequential part of the field, but instead of letting Pakistan take the throw, Štimac knocked the ball away and triggered a kerfuffle. The manager was then sent off for his unnecessary actions.
But Štimac — obviously emboldened by the final 4-0 result — quickly took to Twitter on Thursday to share an impressively constructed tweet in which he called himself "a warrior" for the ball tap.
Football is all about passion, especially when you defend the colours of your country.
You can hate or love me for my actions yesterday, but I am a warrior and I will do it again when needed to protect our boys on the pitch against unjustified decisions. pic.twitter.com/Jgps3hrmDP— Igor Štimac (@stimac_igor) June 22, 2023
I honestly can't decide if I hate him or love him; I'm just impressed by the quality of content he's producing.
Also, back to Sunil Chhetri — the man got a hat trick. The world thought the 38-year-old Indian was about to get smoked in the "Most Men's International Goals Of All Time" lists after finally being overtaken by both Ronaldo and Messi, but here he comes again!
Enjoy Sunil Chhetri's first goal against Pakistan.#Celebratefootball #SAFFChampionship2023 #INDPAK #INDvsPAK pic.twitter.com/Qw5xL3O3XN
— T Sports (@TSports_bd) June 21, 2023
He's up to 90 goals and will certainly add a few more at the SAFF Championship with matches against Nepal and Kuwait still to come.
