India Names Squad for Crucial World Cup Qualifier Against Qatar

Indian football head coach Igor Stimac has named a 23-member squad for India's crucial World Cup Qualifier against Qatar on June 11. The match will be India's first since the retirement of legendary captain Sunil Chhetri.

Stimac has made several notable changes to the squad, most notably the omission of experienced defenders Subhasish Bose, Amey Ranawade, and Lalchungnunga. Jay Gupta has been handed a debut call-up, while Bose and Ranawade were named on the bench but did not feature in the previous match against Kuwait.

India currently sits in third place in Group A with five points, behind Qatar (13 points) and Afghanistan (five points). A win against Qatar is crucial for India's hopes of advancing to the third round of the World Cup Qualifiers. A draw would also suffice if Afghanistan and Kuwait draw their match.

The Blue Tigers will face a formidable challenge against Qatar, who are the reigning Asian champions. However, Stimac remains optimistic about his team's chances. "We have a good team, and we are confident that we can get a result in Qatar," he said.

India's squad for the match against Qatar:

Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Vishal Kaith

Defenders: Anwar Ali, Jay Gupta, Mehtab Singh, Narender, Nikhil Poojary, Rahul Bheke

Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Edmund Lalrindika, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Liston Colaco, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Nandhakumar Sekar, Sahal Abdul Samad, Suresh Singh Wangjam

Forwards: Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Vikram Partap Singh, David Lalhlansanga

Tags: #IndianFootball, #WorldCupQualifiers, #IgorStimac, #Qatar, #SunilChhetri