5 Indians who've impressed in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers

The Indian National Football Team

Even though India have won just the one game – against Guam – a bunch of our players have seriously impressed on the international stage. Stephen Constantine has almost always picked an experienced side with one or two youngsters in the mix to provide that unpredictability on the ball. 

Pitted against the likes of Iran and Oman, India were always going to find it harder to really challenge the teams and progress to the further rounds of the FIFA World Cup yet we tried and tried every match not putting in performances that would suggest we'd long given up on the task at hand. 

With a win against Turkmenistan later today, India can hope to qualify for the playoff rounds of the AFC Cup and a with the boost of a few senior players coming back into the squad, India will really have to give it everything fight for the spot. 

Here's looking at the five players who have impressed us in the qualifying round – and capable of taking India to the next level. 

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu

Once India’s backup shot-stopper, Gurpreet has matured into a fine keeper known for his reflexes and humongous frame. Coach, Constantine, eventually had to replace Subrata with Singh due to the latter’s consistent performances for club and country.

Once criticised for going incognito in crucial matches, the twenty-four-year-old now commands his box with extreme confidence and discipline. Singh has been dominant in his approach when defending set pieces too and isn’t afraid to come out and punch the ball. His stint at Norwegian club, Stabaek definitely seems to have aided him in his development.

Gurpreet was India’s standout performer in their recent encounter against Asian giants Iran. The towering shot-stopper is proving to be an indispensable part of this new looking Indian team.