Khalid Jamil names 23-member Indian team for CAFA Nations Cup

BENGALURU: 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 side.

The Blue Tigers will travel to Tajikistan to compete in the tournament, where they have been drawn in Group B alongside hosts Tajikistan, defending champion 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 on 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. Talisman 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.

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.

Jamil plays down non-availability of players for camp

Head coach Khalid Jamil on Monday played down the chatter around non-availability of some top players in the national camp for the upcoming CAFA Nations Cup and asserted that the team is ready for the challenge.

"Talking about the difficulty, some clubs are not releasing players because of some reasons. We are coming from off-season also. So whoever is available, we have to deal with them," said Jamil.

Asked if the players in the national camp were being affected by the uncertainty over the ISL's future after the top-tier league was put on hold by the organisers FSDL, Jamil said they were professionals and know how to handle situations.

"I never felt that they were having a disturbed mind. They know that when they go inside (the pitch), they have a job to do. So, there is no excuse. Everybody is working hard, that is the

After the CAFA Nations Cup, Jamil will face a sterner test as India play Singapore home and away on October 9 and 14 in the Asian Cup qualifiers. The Indian team is currently in a difficult position in its bid to qualify for the continental showpiece.