
AIFF Urges ISL Clubs To Release 13 Players For National Camp Amidst Durand Cup Duties
The AIFF also thanked Jamshedpur FC for releasing Jamil, which they labelled as a 'gesture of national interest'
"The Indian Senior Men's National Team began their camp from 15 to 25 August 2025 in Bengaluru for their maiden participation in the CAFA Nations Cup. The AIFF appreciates the cooperation of Jamshedpur FC for releasing Khalid Jamil despite an ongoing tournament - a gesture of National Interest. The AIFF urges all clubs to release National Team players for this crucial assignment, which also prepares the squad for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers against Singapore (away & home)," read the statement by the AIFF.
The football governing body also confirmed a list of 13 players from four clubs who have not yet been released by their respective clubs and urged the clubs to do so at the earliest. From Mohun Bagan SG, the players are Anirudh Thapa, Deepak Tangri, Lalengmawia, Liston Colaco, Manvir Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad, and Vishal Kaith. East Bengal has not released Anwar Ali, Jeakson Singh, and Mahesh Singh Naorem. Jamshedpur FC has held back Manvir Singh and Albino Gomes, while NorthEast United FC has yet to release Jithin MS.
Meanwhile, the India U23 Men's National Team began its training camp in Bengaluru on August 1 in preparation for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers, scheduled to be held in Qatar from September 3 to 9. As part of their build-up, the U23 side is set to travel to Kuala Lumpur on August 23 to play two friendly matches against the U23 Iraq National Team.
The AIFF has urged cooperation from all stakeholders to ensure full player participation, as 10 players have not yet reported to the U23 Men's National Team camp. From Jamshedpur FC, Mohammed Sanan K and Nikhil Barla are yet to report.
Mohun Bagan SG has not released Dippendu Biswas, Suhail Ahmad Bhat, Priyansh Dubey, and Tekcham Abhishek Singh. From NorthEast United FC, Macarton Louis Nickson, Parthib Sundar Gogoi, Huidrom Thoi Singh, and Dipesh Chauhan have also not joined the camp.
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Hindustan Times
8 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
India coach Khalid Jamil comes clean about not picking Sunil Chhetri for CAFA Nations Cup: 'Had a talk with him about...
A huge stir erupted on social media after India's talisman, Sunil Chhetri, was not present in the 35-man probable list for the upcoming CAFA Nations Cup. The newly appointed head coach, Khalid Jamil, is facing a lot of flak on social media for leaving out the 40-year-old, who came out of international retirement earlier this year. However, on Sunday, Jamil put an end to all speculations, breaking his silence on the entire matter. Sunil Chhetri wasn't picked in the 35 probable list for CAFA Nations Cup (AFP) The coach stated that the major reason for leaving Chhetri out was to try out a few younger players. He also stated that he had a word with the striker before leaving the Bengaluru FC star off the list. 22 players out of 35 have already assembled in Bengaluru for the training camp. The rest of the 13 will arrive once their commitments for the Durand Cup are concluded. "Sunil Chhetri is a role model for Indian football, and the door is always open for him. He's not there in this camp because we are playing a tournament, which will essentially serve as preparation for our Asian Cup qualifiers, and I want to try out a few other players," said Jamil, according to an official X post by the Indian football team. "I had a talk with him about the same. It's always a pressure to have a player like him in the team," he added. Sunil Chhetri comes out of retirement Sunil Chhetri announced his international retirement on March 6, 2025. At that time, it was announced that he would play his last match on March 25 against Bangladesh in the third round of qualifiers for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 against Bangladesh. However, he came out of retirement for the rest of the Asian Cup qualifiers games at the request of the then-head coach Manolo Marquez. After his U-turn, Chhetri played four games for India and scored one goal. The striker is one of the most popular football stars in India, scoring 95 goals in 155 appearances. Chhetri made his debut in 2005, scoring his first goal against Pakistan. The talisman has not trained with Bengaluru FC recently after the club suspended salaries for the first-team players and staff following the ongoing impasse regarding the Indian Super League (ISL). The premier Indian domestic football tournament has been put on hold for this year, and it remains to be seen when a permanent solution is determined between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL).
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First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
'Can't rely on a player who has crossed 40': Social media reacts as Chhetri excluded from Jamil's list for CAFA Cup
Sunil Chhetri's exclusion from new India coach Khalid Jamil's list of probables for the upcoming CAFA Nations Cup 2025 has led to divisive opinions. While some fans are supporting the decision, some are left surprised. Former India captain , as announced by new head coach Khalid Jamil on August 16, 2025. The tournament is set to take place in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, starting August 29. No official reason was provided by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for Chhetri's omission, and AIFF officials have directed queries to the head coach, who was unavailable for comment. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Social media reacts on Chettri's exclusion Given the legendary stature he holds in Indian football, Sunil Chhetri being snubbed from the probables list has sparked varied reactions on social media. Some users are immensely disappointed with the new coach for not mentioning him in the list, whereas some welcomed the decision, calling it a start of a new era. Alongside Sunil Chhetri's absence, Brandon Fernandes is also missing from the India's probable squad. Brandon has been directly involved in a majority of India's goals over the past few years and has been one of the most creative midfielders in the setup. #IndianFootball — Ashish Negi (@7negiashish) August 16, 2025 More from Football With all due resoect to Sunil chetri and his immense contribution in indian football, i fully support the decision made by our coach khalid jamil. We have to build up the pool of 30 players who can thrive for next 5 years and an average players age should be 26. (1/n) — Pitam (@pitammaiti) August 16, 2025 Good decision but there is no proper striker in the squad who can replace him. Suhail is in the under 23 squad and David,Edmund have not been picked. — Anuj (@Anuj_utkala) August 16, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD No matter what, Sunil da had delivered for Indian football consistently for years n he should enjoy his retirement. Also CAFA matches are Friendlies. Somehow our men's football team have to find a goal scorer among themselves if they are passionate to qualify for Asian Cup. — Vegeta অসম 2.0 (@30Kaju04) August 16, 2025 No Sunil Chhetri in Khalid's plans, But Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Akash Mishra return to the Indian football team camp! 🇮🇳👀 A 22-member squad has reported in Bengaluru for the senior men's national team camp under new head coach Khalid Jamil, as preparations begin. — (@sportsclaus) August 16, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 💯 great decision. We can't always rely on a player who has already crossed 40. He gave his best to the Nation and everyone will be thankful to him. Now we want to create another great player like Sunil. — Harigovind (@Harijee_Here) August 16, 2025 No Sunil Chhetri in Khalid's plans, But Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Akash Mishra return to the Indian football team camp! 🇮🇳👀 A 22-member squad has reported in Bengaluru for the senior men's national team camp under new head coach Khalid Jamil, as preparations begin. — (@sportsclaus) August 16, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Chhetri, aged 41, had retired from international football in June 2024 after a match against Kuwait but returned in March 2025 at the request of former coach Manolo Marquez for the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. He played four matches since his comeback, scoring once in a 3-0 win over the Maldives. India's recent performances, including a 0-0 draw against Bangladesh, a 0-1 loss to Hong Kong, and a 0-2 defeat to Thailand in a friendly, have put their 2027 Asian Cup qualification in jeopardy. It's unlikely his exclusion was due to poor form, as he scored 13 goals in 26 ISL appearances last season, and finished the season as league's second highest goal-scorer. Speculation surrounds whether Chhetri requested to be left out or was rested, as his club, Bengaluru FC, has not yet started pre-season training and recently suspended salaries for first-team players and staff due to uncertainties about the Indian Super League's future. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India's schedule for the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 India are placed in Group B of the CAFA Nations Cup, and will face Tajikistan on August 29, Iran on September 1, and Afghanistan on September 4. The team has begun training in Bengaluru with 22 players, with the remaining 13 expected to join after their Durand Cup commitments. The AIFF has urged clubs to release players for this tournament.


India.com
4 hours ago
- India.com
Newly Appointed Coach Khalid Jamil Shocks Indian Football by Dropping Sunil Chhetri From CAFA Squad, Know Full List Of Probables
In a shocking move by newly appointed Head Coach, Sunil Chhetri has been excluded from India's list of 35 probables for the upcoming CAFA Nations Cup, as announced by the new head coach Khalid Jamil. The tournament is set to be held in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) released the list without providing any specific reason for leaving out Chhetri, who had returned from international retirement earlier this year. Chhetri has appeared in four matches for India in 2025 following his comeback. It seems unlikely his omission is due to poor form. His club, Bengaluru FC, has yet to begin pre-season training, and earlier this year, the club suspended salaries for its first-team players and staff because of uncertainty regarding the future of the Indian Super League (ISL). Other Bengaluru FC players such as goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, defenders Chinglensana Singh, Rahul Bheke, Roshan Singh Naorem, and midfielder Suresh Singh are included in the probables list. ALSO READ - From Greg Chappell to Gautam Gambhir: Complete List Of India Men's Head Coaches Since 2000 Came Back From Retirement Chhetri had initially announced his international retirement after playing against Kuwait in June 2024. However, he returned to represent India against the Maldives after the then-head coach Monolo Marquez requested his help during the Asian Cup qualifiers third round. Since Chhetri's return, India has drawn with Bangladesh and lost to Hong Kong in the Asian Cup qualifiers, leaving the Blue Tigers facing challenges in qualifying for the continental event in 2027. Training for the team is underway in Bengaluru, with 22 players having already joined the camp. The remaining 13 players are expected to report once their commitments with their respective clubs in the Durand Cup conclude. India is placed in Group B of the CAFA Nations Cup alongside Tajikistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. The Blue Tigers will face Tajikistan on August 29, Iran on September 1, and Afghanistan on September 4. The AIFF emphasized in a statement, 'The AIFF has urged all clubs to release national team players for this crucial assignment, which also prepares the squad for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers against Singapore (away & home).' Players already at the camp include: Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Hrithik Tiwari Defenders: Akash Mishra, Alex Saji, Boris Singh Thangjam, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Rahul Bheke, Roshan Singh Naorem, Sandesh Jhingan, Sunil Benchamin Midfielders: Ashique Kuruniyan, Danish Farooq Bhat, Nikhil Prabhu, Rahul Kannoly Praveen, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Udanta Singh Kumam Forwards: Irfan Yadwad, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rahim Ali, Vikram Partap Singh