Indian football team's new head coach Khalid Jamil on Monday named a 23-member squad for the CAFA Nations Cup starting August 29, which will mark his first assignment since taking charge of the national team.
The team will travel to Tajikistan to compete in the tournament, where they have been drawn in Group B alongside hosts Tajikistan, defending champions Iran and Afghanistan. India face hosts Tajikistan on August 29, followed by matches against Iran on September 1 and Afghanistan on September 4.
Jamil has homed in on his final squad after a camp which was attended by 29 players, with Mohun Bagan refusing to release their seven recruits on the grounds that the tournament is not being held in a FIFA window. However, the East Bengal trio of Anwar Ali, Naorem Mahesh Singh and Jeakson Singh Thounaojam joined the camp last Friday before Jithin MS connected with the probables on Sunday after finishing his club engagements. All four of them are part of the squad picked by Jamil for the CAFA Nations Cup.
Seasoned goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu returned to the fold. Sunil Chhetri is not part of the team as Jamil had not called him for the camp. Also missing out on selection were Mohun Bagan's Liston Colaco, Manvir Singh and Subhasish Bose after the club's refusal to release them for the national camp.
The tournament format will see the top two teams from each group progress to the play-offs, scheduled for September 8. The group runners-up will contest the third-place match in Dushanbe, while the winners will meet in the final in Tashkent.
Jamil, who impressed during his tenure as head coach with Jamshedpur FC, will have his task cut out while leading the national team. India are struggling in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers with just one point from their opening two matches and sitting at the bottom of the group.
‘No better player in India than Chhetri’
Even at 41, there is no better player in the country than Sunil Chhetri in terms of quality, and he will be in the national team as long as he is available, India head coach Khalid Jamil said on Monday.
Chhetri was left out by Jamil from the national camp for the CAFA Nations Cup beginning August 29, saying it was just a preparatory tournament for the crucial Asian Cup qualifiers matches in October. He made it clear that Chhetri will walk into the national team against Singapore on October 9 (away) and October 14 (home). “There is no better quality player in India than him. So, when he is available, why not? We need his experience. He is a legend and he has given so much to the nation for so many years," said Jamil.
AIFF chief reposes faith in Jamil, says give him time
All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey is hopeful of India's new head coach Khalid Jamil reviving the fortunes of the team after a string of disappointing results in recent years and wants to give him time to prove his worth.
Asked about his expectations from the new coach, the AIFF chief said, "As you know that Khalid Jameel has been awarded twice best coach of Indian football. And I believe it is an honour for an Indian to win that respect when there are several foreign coaches also involved in this same tournament (ISL). I am very happy that after two decades, an Indian has got a chance to prove his merit."
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