Indian Football Team Prepares for International Friendlies Against Top Teams
Khalid Jamil Announces Squad for FIFA International Matches
On Monday, Khalid Jamil, the head coach of the Indian men's national football team, revealed a 26-player roster for the upcoming FIFA International Match Window scheduled for September and October. The Blue Tigers are set to compete in three international friendlies against higher-ranked teams, starting with a match against Panama on September 26 in Bengaluru. Following that, they will face Brazil, the five-time world champions, on October 3, and Uruguay, the two-time world champions, on October 6, both matches taking place in Kolkata. These encounters will serve as crucial tests for India against World Cup-level competition, as all three teams participated in the FIFA World Cup earlier this year, according to a statement from the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
Preparatory Camp and Match Schedule
The team's training camp will commence on September 14 in Bengaluru. After their initial match against Panama, the Blue Tigers will head to Kolkata on September 28 for their subsequent two games.
India's 26-Player Squad for Upcoming Friendlies
Goalkeepers: Albino Gomes, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, Som Kumar.
Defenders: Abhishek Singh Tekcham, Akash Mishra, Anwar Ali, Bijoy Varghese, Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Jay Gupta, Pramveer, Ricky Meetei Haobam.
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Ashique Kuruniyan, Farukh Choudhary, Lalengmawia Ralte, Macarton Nickson, Mohammed Sanan, Ricky Shabong, Sahal Abdul Samad.
Forwards: Edmund Lalrindika, Irfan Yadwad, Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Ryan Williams, Vikram Partap Singh.
Head Coach: Khalid Jamil.
Reserves
Four players have been designated as reserves: goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari, defenders Chinglensana Singh Konsham and Roshan Singh Naorem, and midfielder Suresh Singh Wangjam. They may be called up to the main squad if necessary.
Match Schedule for the Indian Men's National Team
September 26: India vs Panama (Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru)
October 3: India vs Brazil (Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata)
October 6: India vs Uruguay (Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata).