After India’s shambolic performance in the AFC Asian Cup 2023, where they suffered 3 outright losses, the Indian football team’s next international assignment will be the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers.
Igor Stimac has not been relived off his duties and is still at the helm of the Blue Tigers. For Sunil Chhetri and co. to regain the confidence of the fans, the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers becomes of paramount importance.
On Thursday, Igor Stimac announced a 35-member probable list of India for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers. There have been some big talking points and it indicates the new approach of the Indian football team.
Jeakson Singh and Anwar Ali have staged a comeback into the probable list after missing out on the AFC Asian Cup 2023 because of injuries. Singh had undergone a shoulder surgery in November 2023 and Anwar Ali was suffering from an ankle injury.
Ashique Kuruniyan has not been included in the squad by Igor Stimac as he is yet to fully recuperate from the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury, which he suffered in September 2024.
India beat Kuwait 1-0 last year in the Qualifiers and are pitted against Afghanistan in their upcoming qualifying fixture. Manvir Singh had scored the goal for India and it was joy and ecstasy for the Indians at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Al-Ardiya, Kuwait.
The first fixture with the Afghans will be played on 22nd March 2024 and will be played at the Damac Stadium in Abha, Saudi Arabia.
The next fixture will be played at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, India. India has a fairly good record against Afghanistan in head-to-head and would be confident ahead of these 2 fixtures.
In this article, we take a look at the 35-member probable list of India for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifiers:
Indian Football Team Squad For FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Phurba Tempa Lachenpa, Vishal Kaith.
Defenders: Akash Mishra, Lalchungnunga, Mehtab Singh, Pritam Kotal, Rahul Bheke, Nikhil Chandrashekhar Poojary, Subhasish Bose, Narender, Anwar Ali, Roshan Singh Naorem, Amey Ganesh Ranawade, Jay Gupta.
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Liston Colaco, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Sahal Abdul Samad, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Deepak Tangri, Lalthathanga Khawlhring, Lalengmawia Ralte, Imran Khan.
Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Ishan Pandita, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Manvir Singh, Vikram Partap Singh, Rahul Kannoly Praveen, Nandhakumar Sekar, Isak Vanlalruatfela.
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