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Indian men’s football team head coach Igor Stimac has announced the 27-men squad for the upcoming Hero Intercontinental Cup. Stimac has placed his faith in a mix of experienced stars and promising youngsters, aiming to strike a balance ahead of the important games.
The Hero Intercontinental Cup will begin on June 9, with India set to face Mongolia in their opening game at the Kalinga Stadium in Odisha. Following a three-week break, Stimac initially named 40 players for the training camp in Bhubaneswar, which started on Tuesday, May 16, before narrowing it down to 27 after multiple fitness tests.
Among those, ATK Mohun Bagan’s ISL-winning players - Vishal Kaith, Manvir Singh, and Glan Martins, Hyderabad FC winger Yasir Mohammad, and Bengaluru FC’s full-back Roshan Singh were left out of the squad due to injuries.
After facing Mongolia, the Blue Tigers will be up against Vanuatu and Lebanon, with the top two in the group set to play the final on June 18. Igor Stimac’s men are certainly the favorites to win another trophy, but they will face a stern test against Lebanon, who are ranked two places above them in the FIFA rankings.
Once the Intercontinental Cup is completed, India will travel to Bengaluru in preparation for the all-important SAFF Championship. The tournament will be held at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium from June 21 to July 4.
The Blue Tigers have picked up momentum in recent weeks, winning against Myanmar and the Kyrgyz Republic in the recently concluded international break. With the AFC Asian Cup on the horizon, Stimac will look to find the right balance during the Hero Intercontinental Cup.
Indian men's senior team's full squad for the Hero Intercontinental Cup
The likes of Asish Rai, Chinglensana Singh, Narender Gahlot, Ritwik Das, Rahul KP, Vikram Pratap Singh, Jerry Mawihmingthanga, Bipin Singh, Sivasakthi Narayanan were named in the initial squad but did not make the final cut.
Nandhakumar Sekar, who impressed in the Hero Super Cup, has been rewarded for his form with a place in the national team. He has featured five times for the Indian under-23 side in 2018 and is in line to make his debut for his country.
The final squad for the Hero Intercontinental Cup
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh and Phurba Lachenpa Tempa.
Defenders: Subhasish Bose, Pritam Kotal, Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Akash Mishra, Mehtab Singh and Rahul Bheke.
Midfielders: Liston Colaco, Ashique Kuruniyan, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Rohit Kumar, Udanta Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Nikhil Poojary, Jeakson Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad, Lalengmawia Ralte, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rowllin Borges and Nandhakumar Sekar.
Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Rahim Ali and Ishan Pandita.
Head Coach: Igor Stimac.
