“Great chance to say thanks to Chhetri”: Igor Stimac urges his players to make June 6 ‘memorable’

New Delhi [India], May 17 (ANI): India football head coach Igor Stimac urged the team to make June 6 a “memorable day” for captain Sunil Chhetri who announced his decision to retire from international football.

On Thursday, Chhetri took to X to announce his retirement from international football. He will have his last dance for the Blue Tigers in front of the home fans at the Salt Lake Stadium on June 6 against Kuwait.

The third-highest active international goal scorer will receive one last opportunity to play in front of his adoring home fans at the Salt Lake Stadium before he brings the curtains down on a 19-year-long career.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Stimac wished to do everything to make Chhetri’s last international match special.

“We need to make sure we make 6th June a memorable day, for our captain who has given his all for the country over the last two decades,” Stimac wrote in a post on X.

Stimac urged his players to make the day memorable and say thanks to the man who has done everything for Indian football.

“Having now this situation with our dear captain Sunil and announcing his retirement. That’s another thing, which should motivate each one of us, all of us here. Because we have a great chance to say thanks to him, for everything he’s done for Indian football,” Stimac said in a video.

“For the instrumental behaviour and the commitment that was present there every day and everything he’s done with his goals and leadership to bring many of you into victories and great success. So let’s do everything to make this 6th of June memorable,” he added.

Chhetri kicked off his professional football journey with Mohun Bagan in 2002. Chhetri helped India win the 2007, 2009, and 2012 Nehru Cup, as well as the 2011, 2015, 2021 and 2023 SAFF Championship. He also led India to victory in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, which helped India qualify for its first AFC Asian Cup in 27 years.

The footballing icon received the Arjuna Award in 2011 and the Padma Shri in 2019. In 2021, he became the first footballer to get the Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honour.

In a career that spanned over 19 years, the Arjuna Award winner has 94 goals in 150 matches on the international stage. The most-capped Indian footballer is the third-highest goal-scorer on the global stage with icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi ahead of him.