Latest news with #SuhailAhmadBhat
NDTV
6 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Suhail Ahmad Bhat Earns India Call-Up For Thailand Friendly, Anwar Ali Returns
Suhail Ahmad Bhat on Wednesday became the latest footballer from Jammu and Kashmir to earn an India call-up as head coach Manolo Marquez announced a 28-member squad for an international friendly against Thailand on June 4. The fixture in Thailand is part of India's preparations for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers Final Round, where the Blue Tigers will face Hong Kong on June 10 in Kowloon City. The 20-year-old central forward, who hails from the Bemnia region of Srinagar, was a key figure in Mohun Bagan Super Giant's triumphant Indian Super League campaign last season and is seen as a promising attacking talent. The squad announcement also marks the return of East Bengal's dependable central defender Anwar Ali, who had been sidelined since February due to a hamstring injury. He last featured in competitive action against Bengaluru FC in the ISL. The squad, which includes talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri, who came out of retirement in March to bolster a struggling side, had been camping in Kolkata for the past 10 days. In Kolkata, Marquez's men underwent six full days of training, with gym sessions in the mornings and on-pitch training in the evenings. The Blue Tigers played two practice matches on May 26 and 27. On Monday, they won 2-1 against Santosh Trophy champions Bengal, with Brandon Fernandes and Ashique Kuruniyan finding the net. They registered a 3-0 victory over North 24 Parganas as Chhetri, Chinglensana Singh Konsham and Udanta Singh Kumam scored the goals on Tuesday. India are placed in Group C of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Final Round Qualifiers alongside Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The group stage will follow a home-and-away round-robin format. "All 28 players participating in the ongoing camp in Kolkata will travel to Thailand for the FIFA friendly against the hosts, scheduled for June 4," the All India Football Federation said in a release on Wednesday. Before Suhail, midfielder Danish Farooq was the most recent Kashmiri to play for India, featuring in two friendlies against Bahrain and Belarus under Igor Stimac in 2022. Mehrajuddin Wadoo remains one of the most prominent names from the Valley, having earned 31 caps between 2005 and 2011. Wadoo, hailing from Srinagar's Rainawari area, famously scored the winning goal against Bangladesh in the 2005 SAFF Cup final in Karachi. He was also part of India's victorious campaigns in the 2007 and 2009 Nehru Cup and the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup. Before Wadoo, Mushir Ahmed represented India as a defender. He made his debut on April 9, 1985, against Thailand in a Pre-World Cup match in Kolkata. He played nine matches for the national team and was known for his solid presence at the back. Abdul Majid was one of the earliest footballers from Jammu and Kashmir to represent India. He made his debut on August 26, 1983, against China in the President's Gold Cup in Dhaka. He played 33 matches for the country, captaining the team in three of them and scoring one goal. Majid was a dependable defender and a respected leader on the field. India had a lacklustre showing at the AFC Asian Cup 2023, where they failed to earn a single point or score a goal in their group-stage matches against Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria. The current qualifying campaign also began on a shaky note, with a goalless draw against Bangladesh on March 25.
India Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
Jammu and Kashmir's Suhail Bhat earns India call-up for football friendly vs Thailand
Suhail Ahmad Bhat, a promising young forward from Jammu and Kashmir, has earned his maiden senior national team call-up as India prepares to face Thailand in an international friendly on June 4. The match will be played in Thailand as part of the Blue Tigers' build-up to the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers Final 20-year-old striker from Srinagar's Bemina area has been rewarded for his impressive season with Mohun Bagan Super Giant, where he played a crucial role in their triumphant Indian Super League (ISL) coach Manolo Marquez announced a 28-member squad on Wednesday, all of whom will travel to Thailand. The squad also features the return of dependable East Bengal defender Anwar Ali, who had been sidelined since February with a hamstring injury.#BlueTigers' 28-member squad for the FIFA Friendly against ThailandJune 4Thammasat Stadium, Pathum ThaniMore details Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) May 28, 2025 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 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 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 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 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 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 squad for Thailand friendlyGoalkeepers: Hrithik Tiwari, Vishal Kaith, Gurmeet Singh, Amrinder Naorem Roshan Singh, Rahul Bheke, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Anwar Ali, Boris Singh Thangjam, Sandesh Jhingan, Asish Rai, Subhasish Bose, Mehtab Singh, Abhishek Singh Suresh Singh Wangjam, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Udanta Singh Kumam, Lalengmawia Ralte, Liston Colaco, Ashique Kuruniyan, Brandon Fernandes, Nikhil Sunil Chhetri, Edmund Lalrindika, Manvir Singh, Suhail Ahmad Bhat, Lallianzuala Reel
Hans India
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
Kalinga Super Cup: Mohun Bagan SG sail past Kerala Blasters to seal SF spot
Bhubaneswar: The young guns of Mohun Bagan Super Giant defeated Kerala Blasters FC 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the Kalinga Super Cup 2025 here on Saturday. The ISL Shield and Cup-winning Mariners, fielding an all-Indian squad except for Portuguese defender Nuno Reis, scored once in each half through Sahal Abdul Samad (22') and Suhail Ahmad Bhat (51'). Sreekuttan MS (90+4') pulled one back for the Blasters, but it was too little, too late as Mohun Bagan SG, helped by a solid performance from goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, entered the semifinals. Bastab Roy's side will face the winners of the clash between FC Goa and Punjab FC in the semifinal on April 30. The game began at a leisurely pace, with both teams not committing many bodies in the opposition half. After 20 minutes of no goalmouth action, Mohun Bagan SG churned out the opener with their first meaningful attack of the match. With some lightning-quick footwork, Salahudheen Adnan twisted and turned past left-back Naocha Singh and slipped a cross into the six-yard box. Getting on the end of it was Sahal Abdul Samad, who, with a drop of a shoulder, swiftly evaded Ruivah Hormipam's challenge and dinked the ball over goalkeeper Sachin Suresh to make it 1-0 in the 22nd minute. From then on, it was all Kerala Blasters, who were left rattled by the Mariners and grew desperate for the equaliser. Noah Sadaoui, scorer of a stunning long ranger against East Bengal, tried the same trick once again, cutting in from the right and shooting from distance. But he didn't get enough elevation, and the ball landed straight into the gloves of Dheeraj Singh. The Blasters became increasingly dangerous from short corners. In the 30th minute, after playing a one-two with Vibin Mohanan, Sadaoui drilled a low cross that was hacked clear by Dippendu Biswas. Later, from another short corner, Hormipam's cross-turned-shot almost landed in the top corner, with Dheeraj doing well to tip it over. In the first half of added time, Mohammed Aimen was fed on the left wing by Vibin. The midfielder cut in from the left before seeing his right-footer swerve over the bar. Before Kerala Blasters could even get into gear for the second half, Mohun Bagan SG scored another goal. When Sachin produced a wonderful one-on-one save to deny Salahudheen in the 47th minute, it wasn't enough of a wake-up call for David Català's side. Just four minutes later, Ashique Kuruniyan created the second goal from the left flank. The Indian international skipped past Hormipam and squared an inch-perfect ball into the six-yard box for Suhail Ahmad Bhat to guide it into the net with ease. The rest of the second half was all about Dheeraj Singh keeping the Kerala Blasters forward at bay, but it wasn't until after Jesús Jiménez missed a couple of gilt-edged chances – half-volleying over the bar in the 65th minute and then curling it wide of the far post after going clean through on goal in the 67th. Three minutes later, Dheeraj palmed over substitute Kwame Peprah's right-footed shot from a narrow angle. With just five minutes to go, Peprah tried to set up Jiménez with a low cross into the six-yard box, but the Spaniard couldn't sort his feet out quickly enough and missed it completely. Dheeraj again made himself big to deny Peprah from six yards before Ebindas Y's attempt on the rebound was cleared off the line by Amandeep. The Mohun Bagan custodian was finally beaten in the 94th minute when Jiménez slipped a neat ball for Sreekuttan on the right. The substitute thrashed it over Dheeraj and into the back of the net, but it only turned out to be a consolation strike.
