Following their exit from the Asian Games, the Indian men's football squad is gearing up for their next challenge - the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia. Igor Stimac, the head coach, unveiled a list of 26 potential players on Friday, from which the final squad for the tournament will be chosen.
Scheduled from October 13-17, the Merdeka Cup will witness four teams vying for the top spot. Alongside India, the hosts Malaysia, Palestine, and Tajikistan will be competing in this footballing spectacle.
The tournament's structure is based on a knockout format. India is set to clash with Malaysia in the second semi-final on October 13, right after the face-off between Palestine and Tajikistan in the first semi-final. The grand finale is slated for October 17, along with a match to determine the third-place finisher, featuring the two semi-final losers.
Fans and followers will have to wait until the second week of October when the definitive list of 23 players representing India in Malaysia will be officially released. The Merdeka Cup promises an intense and thrilling contest as India seeks to leave a mark in the international arena.
The 26-member probable list are as follows:
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Vishal Kaith and Dheeraj Singh.
Defenders: Nikhil Poojary, Roshan Singh, Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Mehtab Singh, Lalchungnunga, Akash Mishra and Subhasish Bose.
Midfielders: Jeakson Singh, Suresh Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Rohit Kumar, Sahal Abdul Samad, Brandon Fernandes, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Udanta Singh, Vikram Pratap Singh, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Liston Colaco and Nandhakumar Sekar.
Forwards: Sunil Chhetri and Manvir Singh.
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(With PTI inputs, powered by AI)
