India Unveils 26-Member Squad For AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023
Indian football team's squad for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup 2023 tournament has brought some surprises. Udanta Singh, who faced public criticism from Stimac earlier, finds a place in the lineup.
The Indian football team are preparing for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup 2023, slated to commence in the second week of January 2024. On December 30, 2023, Igor Stimac, the head coach of the Indian Football Team, unveiled the 26-member squad for the AFC Asian Cup 2023. The Blue Tigers are en route to Doha for their fifth appearance in the Asian Cup.
The squad selection for the tournament has brought some surprises. Udanta Singh, who faced public criticism from Stimac earlier this year, finds a place in the lineup. Additionally, Sahal Abdul Samad, who is recuperating from an injury sustained earlier in December, has been included in the squad. Deepak Tangri also finds his place back in the team.
India’s AFC Asian Cup 2023: Player Squad
Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Vishal Kaith.
Defenders: Akash Mishra, Lalchungnunga, Mehtab Singh, Nikhil Poojary, Pritam Kotal, Rahul Bheke, Sandesh Jhingan, Subhasish Bose.
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Deepak Tangri, Lalengmawia Ralte, Liston Colaco, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Udanta Singh.
Forwards: Ishan Pandita, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Manvir Singh, Rahul Kannoly Praveen, Sunil Chhetri, Vikram Partap Singh.
Stimac emphasised the team's unity and character, stating in an AIFF statement, “All these boys are very similar in terms of football quality. We are a team, a family. But no matter the talent, if there is no character, nothing can be achieved.”
Regarding areas for improvement before the tournament, Stimac highlighted defensive compactness, offensive transitions, and set pieces as focal points.
“The things we are looking to work on are defensive compactness, offensive transitions, and the set pieces, mostly. It will be very important to work on man-marking inside the box because I was not happy with that part of our game. In the last few games, we started leaking some unnecessary goals inside the box.”
“All three of our opponents are very good technically, physically stronger with great speed. So, we are not going to have much difference in approach to all these three games, I can tell you that. We need to check the fitness level of our players at present and see how much we can develop in the next two weeks”, he added.
India’s Group B AFC Asian Cup 2023 Fixtures:
January 13, 2024: Australia vs India (17:00 IST, Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan)
January 18, 2024: India vs Uzbekistan (20:00 IST, Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan)
January 23, 2024: Syria vs India (17:00 IST, Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor)
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