Jammu and Kashmir's Suhail Bhat earns India call-up for football friendly vs Thailand
Veteran striker Sunil Chhetri, who came out of retirement in March to help stabilise the team, also retains his place in the squad. The team has been camping in Kolkata for the past 10 days, undergoing a combination of morning gym sessions and evening on-pitch training.During the camp, India played two practice matches to fine-tune preparations. On May 26, they defeated Santosh Trophy champions Bengal 2-1, with goals from Brandon Fernandes and Ashique Kuruniyan. The following day, they secured a 3-0 victory over North 24 Parganas, with Chhetri, Chinglensana Singh, and Udanta Singh on the scoresheet.advertisementIndia are placed in Group C of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers, alongside Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The group stage will follow a home-and-away round-robin format. Their next competitive match is scheduled for June 10, when they face Hong Kong in Kowloon City.Bhat's selection continues a proud legacy of Kashmiri representation in Indian football. Midfielder Danish Farooq was the last player from the region to don the national jersey, featuring in friendlies against Bahrain and Belarus in 2022. Before him, Mehrajuddin Wadoo stood out with 31 caps between 2005 and 2011, famously scoring the winner in the 2005 SAFF Cup final against Bangladesh.Wadoo, who hails from Srinagar's Rainawari area, was also part of India's victorious campaigns in the 2007 and 2009 Nehru Cups and the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup. Other notable names include Mushir Ahmed, who debuted in 1985 against Thailand, and Abdul Majid, who captained India in three of his 33 appearances in the 1980s.The Blue Tigers are hoping to bounce back from a disappointing AFC Asian Cup 2023, where they failed to earn a single point or score a goal in group-stage matches against Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria.India squad for Thailand friendlyGoalkeepers: Hrithik Tiwari, Vishal Kaith, Gurmeet Singh, Amrinder Singh.advertisementDefenders: Naorem Roshan Singh, Rahul Bheke, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Anwar Ali, Boris Singh Thangjam, Sandesh Jhingan, Asish Rai, Subhasish Bose, Mehtab Singh, Abhishek Singh Tekcham.Midfielders: Suresh Singh Wangjam, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Udanta Singh Kumam, Lalengmawia Ralte, Liston Colaco, Ashique Kuruniyan, Brandon Fernandes, Nikhil Prabhu.Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Edmund Lalrindika, Manvir Singh, Suhail Ahmad Bhat, Lallianzuala Chhangte.Trending Reel
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Hans India
7 hours ago
- Hans India
Khalid Jamil will serve as full-time India coach: AIFF
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Wednesday said Khalid Jamil has taken charge of the sen-ior men's team on a full-time basis for a period of two years with an option to extend his contract by one year depending on results. The AIFF said Jamil has signed the contract after parting ways with ISL team Jamshedpur FC. Jamil will begin his first training camp on August 15 at the Dravid-Padukone Centre for Sports Excel-lence in Bengaluru. His first assignment with the Blue Tigers will be the CAFA Nations Cup, where India will face hosts Tajikistan (August 29), Iran (September 1) and Afghanistan (September 4) in Group B. In the October FIFA Window, India will play two crucial AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifying matches against Singapore (October 9 and 14). Jamil said, 'I am both deeply proud and immensely privileged to have been entrusted with the re-sponsibility of leading our national team. 'Over the years, I've had the opportunity to train Indian players, and I've grown to understand their strengths and weaknesses intimately. These insights will be fundamental to everything we do as we prepare for the CAFA Nations Cup and the upcoming crucial Asian Cup Qualifiers against Singapore.' He has replaced Manolo Marquez, whose contract was terminated by the AIFF last month. Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia feels 'sorry' for Khalid Jamil, who has taken charge of the national football team at a time when the sport is going through a difficult phase in the country and said the AIFF preferred him because he is unlikely to make too many demands. 'We have got two world class coaches leaving, we have got Igor Štimac who coached the Croatian team, and then Manolo Marquez who is one of the great coaches with great history,' Bhutia told PTI Videos after the Fidel Castro Centenary Football Cup's exhibition match. 'If these two coaches couldn't work with the federation, then you bring people who will listen and will do what Federations says and will not come up with his own ideas and demands from the feder-ation. 'I think Jamil being a domestic coach fits into that as he is fairly new to the team. (Feel) sorry for him as well as he is taking charge of the team when it's in a very difficult situation,' he added. Jamil was chosen ahead of Stephen Constantine and Stefan Tarkovic. Taking aim at AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, Bhutia said: 'For Kalyan, he is the right guys because Indian coaches do not demand much. At the same time he is saying that there are financial problems and today the federation has gone into such a bad situation that we don't have money to pay to the coaches as well. 'There are coaches who are national team coaches, and they are being paid by the other people, so, I don't know where all the money's gone and there are scam after scam.' Chaubey had recently admitted that club football is 'going through crisis' due to the uncertainty sur-rounding the Indian Super League, while attributing the situation to 'some self-claimed reformers with vested interests'. Bhutia responded: 'He (Chaubey) said exactly the right things but who is the head of the federation, and who is controlling football right now and that person should be responsible for the same. 'He is saying that it's in a crisis but not saying that I am (Chaubey) the head of the federation that created those crises. 'He does not understand what position he is in and the football in this country is in crisis and it is the responsibility of the federation and the president to solve those crises and if he cannot do that he should let somebody come in who can solve those crises.' Bhutia and Chaubey have shared a history of verbal spats, with the former frequently questioning Chaubey's leadership, even calling the AIFF a 'circus'.
The Hindu
7 hours ago
- The Hindu
FC Goa won because of its players, not the referee: Manolo Marquez after sealing ACL 2 spot
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Time of India
18 hours ago
- Time of India
AIFF assures Jamil of uninterrupted two-year term
Khalid Jamil is the only Indian who has managed teams as chief coach for the last 15 years Panaji: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has assured Khalid Jamil that he will have an uninterrupted two-year stint with the national team, a key factor that convinced the Jamshedpur FC coach to quit the club and take up the national team job on a full-time basis. Jamil, the first Indian to coach the men's national team since Savio Medeira in 2012 and the first full-time domestic coach since Sukhwinder Singh in almost two decades, has signed a two-year contract, with an option to extend for another year, the AIFF announced on Wednesday. He was initially keen on a three year contract. 'Khalid was quitting his secure job at Jamshedpur, so wanted assurance on a long-term deal,' a senior official told TOI. 'He was not interested in any short-term agreement, and the federation didn't want him in a dual club-and-country role. Since the executive committee and the technical committee had enough trust in him, it made sense to hand him a two-year contract.' Jamil is the only Indian who has managed teams as chief coach for the last 15 years, with close to 225 senior games in the top divisions. Other domestic coaches who were in the fray like Sanjoy Sen, Renedy Singh, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, S Venkatesh, Shankarlal Chakraborty, Santosh Kashyap and Ishfaq Ahmed, the AIFF pointed out in its presentation, either had limited success or limited head coach experience at the senior level. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dementia Has Been Linked To a Common Habit. Do You Do It? Memory Health Click Here Undo 'I am deeply proud and immensely privileged to have been entrusted with the responsibility of leading our national team,' Jamil said on Wednesday. 'Over the years, I've had the opportunity to train Indian players, and I've grown to understand their strengths and weaknesses intimately. These insights will be fundamental to everything we do as we prepare for the CAFA Nations Cup and the crucial Asian Cup qualifiers against Singapore. " Jamshedpur were left with no choice but mutually part ways with Jamil after it became clear that the national team opportunity was too good to skip. Assistant coach Steven Dias will take over as the interim head coach. 'This is a proud moment for the Indian football fraternity as an Indian coach takes charge to guide the nation towards AFC Asian Cup qualification to start with, a challenge we believe rests on Jamil's able shoulders,' Jamshedpur said in a statement. It were Jamshedpur who showed faith in the 48-year-old after he lost his job at NorthEast United in 2022. He first worked at Bengaluru United in the third-tier of Indian football, then had a one-month stint as coach of Nepal Super League club FC Chitwan, before Jamshedpur offered him a second opportunity in the ISL. 'Witnessing his progression has been truly special,' said Jamshedpur CEO Mukul Choudhari, who was the first to provide Jamil with the coaching break during their time at Mumbai FC. 'Khalid's hard work, focus, and commitment has earned him the opportunity, and we couldn't be more proud. I am confident the national team will do well under his leadership.' Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
