AFC Asian Cup 2023: Igor Stimac declares India's 26-member squad
Indian football team head coach Igor Stimac announced the 26-member squad for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. The Blue Tigers are all set to arrive in Doha later on December 30 as they prepare for the continental tournament for the fifth time and twice on the bounce. The squad has a great mix of youngsters along with experienced campaigners. Here's more.
Anwar Ali and Ashique Kuruniyan miss out due to injuries
One of the biggest blows for the Indian team was Anwar Ali's injury. The young defender has been a mainstay for Mohun Bagan Super Giant and India this year but he missed out due to an ankle injury. Similarly, MBSG's star winger Ashsique Kuruniyan is also sidelined with an ACL injury. The versatile forward from Kerala was part of India's 2019 Asian Cup squad.
A look at India's 26-member squad for the Asian Cup
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 demands character from his players ahead of the tournament
"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," Stimac said. "The things we are looking to work on are defensive compactness, offensive transitions, and the set pieces. It will be very important to work on man-marking inside the box," he added.
A look at India's schedule in the AFC Asian Cup
India are in Group B with Australia, Uzbekistan and Syria. They will kick-start their campaign with the clash against Australia on January 13 (17:00 IST) before facing Uzbekistan on January 18 (20:00 IST). The first two matches will be in Al Rayyan's Ahmad bin Ali Stadium. Lastly, they will face Syria on January 23 (17:00 IST) at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.
India's fifth appearance at the continental tournament
This will be India's fifth appearance at the tournament. Before this, the Blue Tigers have qualified for the event in 1964, 1984, 2011, and 2019. Their best campaign was in 1964 when they finished as the runners-up. Notably, India have never cleared the group in their last three attempts. This is the first time India have qualified in consecutive two editions of the tournament.
