Indian National Soccer Team Call-Up: Chhetri Among 14 Players Joined India Camp Late before Match against Singapore
India Slips in FIFA Rankings Ahead of Asian Cup Qualifiers
India has dropped one place to 134th in the latest FIFA rankings, as the country prepares for its Asian Cup qualifiers against Singapore. The preparatory camp for these matches begins this Saturday, but 14 key players, including Sunil Chhetri, are yet to join due to delays in the release of players from their clubs.
Under the rules, clubs are not obligated to release players early as the FIFA international match window falls from October 6 to 14. This has led to a delay in the arrival of several players, causing concern for head coach Khalid Jamil.
Three clubs, Bengaluru FC, East Bengal, and Punjab FC, have been identified as the ones causing the delays. The seven players from Bengaluru FC, three from East Bengal, and four from Punjab FC will join the camp towards the end of September.
Meanwhile, Mohun Bagan SG and FC Goa, who have been shortlisted in the probables, will be called up later, after their AFC Champions League Two engagements are over. The information about the names of the players from Mohun Bagan SG and FC Goa joining the squad is not yet explicit, but players mentioned for Mohun Bagan SG in the AFC Champions League Two match against Ahal FC include Tom Aldred, Liston Colaco, Sahal Abdul Samad, and Jason Cummings. No specific player names from FC Goa related to this have been found in the given results.
India's recent performance in the CAFA Nations Cup may have contributed to the delay in player releases. The team finished third in the tournament, beating higher-ranked Oman in the third-place play-off. However, this win did not significantly improve India's ranking as it was considered a draw for the purposes of ranking calculation.
Despite the challenges, India remains optimistic. Sandesh Jhingan, who underwent a surgery recently, will be available for the Singapore games. With Jhingan's return and the addition of two more players to the probables, bringing the total to 32, India hopes to put up a strong fight against Singapore.
Jamil admitted that fewer players will attend the start of the camp due to delays. With only a week of training time before the matches, the delayed arrival of the 14 players could pose a significant challenge. However, the team is determined to make the most of the time they have and give their best in the upcoming matches.
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