Indian football team head coach Igor Stimac named a 28-member squad for the FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.
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Indian football team head coach Igor Stimac named a 28-man squad for the FIFA World Cup 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 qualifiers to be held in Qatar. The Indian football team will play three matches from June 3-15. Before that they will have a two week camp in Qatar. The team will travel to Qatar from New Delhi on May 19, 2021.
As per the guidelines for travel to Qatar, all players and staff will carry with them negative test results from the RT-PCR tests held in the last 48 hours. All of them were in isolation in New Delhi under the bio bubble at the team hotel from May 15th onwards.
Stimac said that although it is not the “ideal situation” ahead of the June qualifiers, the team will be putting in “intense” sessions before their matches begin.
“It’s not an ideal situation as we move ahead to the Qualifiers in June. Due to the pandemic, our National Camp which was slated to begin in Kolkata at the beginning of May had to get cancelled. The pandemic also robbed us of a friendly match in Dubai,” he said.
The Blue Tigers will play three matches in Qatar against Qatar, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on June 3,7 and 15 respectively. India’s chances of making the 2022 FIFA World Cup are over. However, their 2023 Asian Cup qualification chances are still alive.
Presently, India are placed fourth in Group E with three points from five games, with only Bangladesh behind them. Afghanistan are placed in third spot with four points from five games. Qatar lead the table with 16 points from six games.
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Dheeraj Singh.
Defenders: Pritam Kotal, Rahul Bheke, Narender Gehlot, Chinglensana Singh, Sandesh Jhingan, Adil Khan, Akash Mishra, Subhashish Bose.
Midfielders: Udanta Singh, Brandon Fernandes, Liston Colaco, Rowllin Borges, Glan Martins, Anirudh Thapa, Pronoy Halder, Suresh Singh, Apuia, Abdul Sahal, Yasir Md, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Bipin Singh, Ashique K.
Forwards: Manvir Singh, Sunil Chhetri, Ishan Pandita.
FC Goa’s Glan Martins is named in the squad for the first time on back of a good showing in the AFC Champions League. Another good performer from AFC Champions League, Dheeraj Singh, has also been called up.
Kerala midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad has come back into the setup after missing out last time due to injury. Subhashish Bose and Pronay Halder also return.
Right-backs Ashutosh Mehta and Asish Rai and winger Rahul KP miss out due to injuries. ATK Mohun Bagan’s Prabir Das and Seriton Fernandes miss out as they have tested positive for COVID-19.
Captain Sunil Chhetri, who missed the trip to Dubai after contracting Covid, is now back in the squad.
