Bengaluru, Aug 25 (PTI) Indian football team’s new head coach Khalid Jamil on Monday named a 23-member squad for the CAFA Nations Cup starting August 29, which will mark his first assignment since taking charge of the national side.
The Blue Tigers will travel to Tajikistan to compete in the tournament, where they have been drawn in Group B alongside hosts Tajikistan, defending champions Iran, and Afghanistan.
India face hosts Tajikistan on August 29 followed by matches against Iran on September 1 and Afghanistan on September 4.
Jamil has homed in on his final squad after a camp which was attended by 29 players, with Mohun Bagan refusing to release their seven recruits on the grounds that the tournament is not being held on a FIFA window..
However, the East Bengal trio of Anwar Ali, Naorem Mahesh Singh, and Jeakson Singh Thounaojam joined the camp last Friday before Jithin MS connected with the probables on Sunday after finishing his club engagements. All four of them are part of the squad picked by Jamil for the CAFA Nations Cup..
Seasoned goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu returned to the fold. Talisman Sunil Chhetri is not part of the team as Jamil had not called him for the camp. Also missing out on selection were Mohun Bagan’s Liston Colaco, Manvir Singh and Subhasish Bose after the club’s refusal to release them for the national camp.
The tournament format will see the top two teams from each group progress to the play-offs, scheduled for September 8. The group runners-up will contest the third-place match in Dushanbe, while the winners will meet in the final in Tashkent.
Jamil, who impressed during his tenure as head coach with Jamshedpur FC, will have his task cut out while leading the national team..
India are struggling in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, with just one point from their opening two matches and sitting at the bottom of the group..
Jamil began his first camp with the Blue Tigers on August 1.
India squad:.
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Hrithik Tiwar.
Defenders: Rahul Bheke, Naorem Roshan Singh, Anwar Ali, Sandesh Jhingan, Chinglensana Singh, Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Muhammed Uvai.
Midfielders: Nikhil Prabhu, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Danish Farooq Bhat, Jeakson Singh, Boris Singh, Ashique Kuruniyan, Udanta Singh, Naorem Mahesh Sing.
Forwards: Irfan Yadwad, Manvir Singh (Jr.), Jithin MS, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Vikram Partap Sing.
Head Coach: Khalid Jamil. PTI AH AH KHS
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