Igor Stimac names 23-member India squad for Qatar game
The Indian football team are all set to take on Qatar in their final round 2 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers game on June 11. With just three days to go for the 'do-or-die' clash, head coach Igor Stimac has announced a 23-member squad, which will travel to Doha to take on the reigning Asian champions.
Stimac has left out three players, all of whom are defenders namely Amey Ranawade, Subhasish Bose, and Lalchungnunga. The reason for their omission is yet to be discovered. The fourth name to be omitted from the previous list is Sunil Chhetri, who has now retired from international football after the game on June 6 against Kuwait.
India's squad for Qatar game
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Vishal Kaith.
Defenders: Anwar Ali, Jay Gupta, Mehtab Singh, Narender, Nikhil Poojary, and Rahul Bheke.
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Edmund Lalrindika, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Liston Colaco, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Nandhakumar Sekar, Sahal Abdul Samad, and Suresh Singh Wangjam.
Forwards: Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Vikram Partap Singh, and David Lalhlansanga.
India's preparations for Qatar game
Two days back, India played their fifth qualifier against Kuwait on home turf, at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, and bid adieu to their skipper and all-time top scorer Sunil Chhetri. Everyone in the camp wanted to make it a memorable moment for the 39-year-old Chhetri, but the fixture ended in a stalemate (0-0), with neither team suceeding in finding the back of the net.
The game against Qatar is a highly staked one, as India have to ensure they salvage a win in this encounter. Qatar had earlier announced a pretty young side for the June qualifiers. Thus it can be said that the Indian football team won't face the attacking threat they witnessed in Bhubaneswar last year.
A win will be enough for India to make their way to round 3 of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, along with Qatar. However, they can't afford to lose this game as Kuwait will be taking on Afghanistan on the same day. Both Kuwait and Afghanistan are in contention for that second qualification spot as well and will aim to defeat each other in the process. If India play out a draw with Qatar, they'll have to pray that the Kuwait vs Afghanistan game too, ends in a draw.