India football team chief coach Igor Stimac believes rankings won't matter when his team clash with Asian heavyweights Bahrain and Belarus in two friendlies later this month.
 
Bahrain, ranked 89th in the FIFA world rankings, host India (ranked 104th) on March 23 in Manama. Three days later, India play Belarus (94th). The matches are a part of India's preparation for the Asian Cup final-round qualifiers (June 8 to 14) to be held at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, in June where the hosts play Hong Kong, Afghanistan and Cambodia in Group D matches. 

"We have chosen our opponents [for the two friendlies] carefully. They are better ranked sides than us, but I always believe that rankings mean nothing. Whatever you plan to do, you should do on the pitch during the 90 minutes of the game. Bahrain are a very competitive side. These friendlies will show us where we stand," Stimac said during a virtual media interaction on Monday.