Indian national team coach Igor Stimac has named a 25-man squad for the upcoming international friendlies against Nepal in September.
The Croatian coach had named a 24-member India squad for the camp that began in Kolkata from August 15 sans the 11 players of ATK Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC who were to join the camp after their 2021 AFC Cup group stage games. Players of the Kolkata side have joined the camp on Friday while those of the Bengaluru outfit will unite with the rest on Sunday.
On this page
- When are the friendlies against Nepal?
- What is the Indian national team preparing for?
- Indian national team: Squad and team news
When will India play international friendlies against Nepal?
The Indian national team are all set to play two international friendly matches against neighbours Nepal on September 2 and 5 at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal.
AIFF Media
| Date | Time (IST) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2 | 5:30pm | Nepal vs India |
| Sep 5 | 5:30pm | Nepal vs India |
As part of India's ongoing camp in Kolkata, the Blue Tigers took on IFA XI in an exhibition game which they won 1-0 with Akash Mishra on target on August 16. India played another exhibition match against Mohammedan Sporting which they won 2-0 with Ishan Pandita and Farukh Choudhary finding the back of the net.
"We can’t expect much after 10 days of preparation. The legs are still heavy from the load, and we need to slow down, and refresh the players," Stimac remarked as the Blue Tigers are set to leave for Nepal on August 30.
What is the Indian national team preparing for?
AIFF Media
The Indian national team's next competitive assignment is set to be the 2021 SAFF Championship in the Maldives, from October 4-16, 2021.
India will be opening their SAFF Cup campaign against neighbours Bangladesh (Oct 4) before facing Sri Lanka (Oct 7), Nepal (Oct 10) and Maldives (Oct 13) in a round-robin format. The final of the competition will feature the top two teams and is slated to be played on October 16, 2021.
Stimac's men have also qualified for the third round of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup that will be held in China between 1 February, 2022 and September 27, 2022.
Indian national team: Squad and team news
AIFF Media
"We need to be careful going into the next two games against Nepal. We understand that the ATK Mohun Bagan and BFC players will be in better shape (following their engagement in the 2021 AFC Cup) than the others for the two matches against Nepal," felt Stimac.
Among the 25-man India squad for the Nepal friendlies, Seriton Fernandes and Rahim Ali after their maiden call-ups to the national team camp. Meanwhile, Ishan Pandita - who part of squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualification games in Qatar in June - has been left out in favour of Farukh Choudhary.
The 25-man India squad for the Nepal friendlies:
Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
Defenders: Pritam Kotal, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Mandar Rao Dessai, Akash Mishra, Rahul Bheke, Subhasish Bose, Seriton Fernandes
Midfielders: Lalengmawia, Bipin Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Brandon Fernandes, Liston Colaco, Yasir Mohammad, Glan Martins, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Jeakson Singh, Pronay Halder
Forwards: Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Sunil Chhetri, Farukh Choudhary
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