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Following Palestine's withdrawal from the Merdeka Tournament, the Football Association of Malaysia has adjusted the tournament format to include only three teams.
Tajikistan have been granted a bye, and the winner of the clash between India and Malaysia will advance to face Tajikistan in the final scheduled for October 17.
Palestine, who were scheduled to face Tajikistan on October 13, had to withdraw due to an escalation of the ongoing hostilities with Israel. Consequently, India will now face the host nation, Malaysia, on the same date at the Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, with the stadium having a capacity of 90,000.
With Palestine's exit, India are the highest-ranked team in the competition. Tajikistan are placed 110th in the rankings, whereas India's opponents, Malaysia, are ranked 134th, a substantial 32 positions below the Blue Tigers.
Anticipation is building for the forthcoming match, with a massive crowd expected to be in attendance, which could potentially include a substantial contingent of Indian fans.
Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who played in the stadium with East Bengal FC a decade earlier, has requested the Indian supporters to come in numbers and support the national team.
"I have played here once before, and I still remember the stadium, it was absolutely buzzing. I think we have a lot of Indians here as well, and it will be good to see some of those fans support us as well,” he said. “I would like to request all the Indian fans in Kuala Lumpur to come and support us.”
The Merdeka Cup holds significant importance as India prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in November, where they will come up against Kuwait and Qatar. They will then participate in the pivotal AFC Asian Cup in January, facing Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria in Qatar.
India traveled to Malaysia on October 9, with Igor Stimac naming a strong squad for the competition. Notably, Sunil Chhetri is back in the mix, after missing the King’s Cup, while Vishal Kaith has been named in the squad in place of Phurba Lachenpa.
Additionally, Rahim Ali and Chinglensana Singh have been left behind, with Lalchungnunga and Vikram Pratap Singh preferred ahead of the duo.
India’s fixtures and 23 member squad for the Merdeka Tournament
Fixtures: October 13: Malaysia vs India, 6:30 PM IST.
October 17: Malaysia/India vs Tajikistan, 6:30 PM IST.
Squad: Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Vishal Kaith and Dheeraj Singh.
Defenders: Nikhil Poojary, Roshan Singh, Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Mehtab Singh, Lalchungnunga, Akash Mishra and Subhasish Bose.
Midfielders: Jeakson Singh, Suresh Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Rohit Kumar, Sahal Abdul Samad, Brandon Fernandes, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Udanta Singh, Vikram Pratap Singh, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Liston Colaco and Nandhakumar Sekar.
Forwards: Sunil Chhetri and Manvir Singh.
