India’s head coach Igor Stimac has named a 23-man squad for the match against Qatar for the ongoing FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The Blue Tigers will take on table-toppers Qatar in their last group-stage match on Tuesday at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan.
India played a goalless draw against Kuwait at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata on Thursday as they could not bring their A-game to the pitch and they will have their work cut out against the potent Qatar team without the services of their former skipper Sunil Chhetri, who is now retired.
Qatar is unbeaten in the group-stage matches and leads the table with 13 points from five matches.
Meanwhile, Subhasish Bose, Lalchungnunga, and Amey Ranawade, who were part of the squad for the Kuwait game, are notable absentees from the latest squad.
India will need other results to go their way and it is going to be challenging for them to qualify for the third round.
Stimac remarked in the post-Kuwait match press conference, “In five days’ time, this might be India U23 against Qatar U23 if you look at the age and the players we have, so I expect a lot from this game, to be honest.”
India has managed a solitary win out of the five matches they have played and they were also stunned by Afghanistan recently (2-1).
India’s 23-member squad for the FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Qatar:
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Vishal Kaith.
Defenders: Anwar Ali, Jay Gupta, Mehtab Singh, Narender, Nikhil Poojary, Rahul Bheke.
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Edmund Lalrindika, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Liston Colaco, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Nandhakumar Sekar, Sahal Abdul Samad, Suresh Singh Wangjam.
Forwards: Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Vikram Partap Singh, David Lalhlansanga.
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