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On Friday, November 3, the head coach of the Indian football team, Igor Stimac, named 28 probables for the preparatory camp, including the likes of captain Sunil Chhetri and Gurpreet Sandhu, for the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Kuwait and Qatar. These two matches for India will also serve as the preliminary qualification for the AFC Asian Cup 2027, which is scheduled to happen in Saudi Arabia.
The first round two match of the joint qualification for the FIFA and AFC tournaments, as part of Group A, will be played between India and Kuwait at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City on November 16. The Blue Tigers will return home to play the second Group A match at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on November 21.
Notably, the preparatory camp for the India football team will take place in Dubai, UAE, after they make the trip to the Middle East country on November 8. In 2023, the Blue Tigers won the Intercontinental Cup and SAFF Championship before bowing out of the Round of 16 at the Asian Games.
Here are the names of 28 probables of India for the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers:
Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Vishal Kaith
Defenders: Akash Mishra, Lalchungnunga, Mehtab Singh, Nikhil Poojary, Rahul Bheke, Roshan Singh Naorem, Sandesh Jhingan, Subhasish Bose
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Glan Peter Martins, Lalengmawia, Liston Colaco, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Nandhakumar Sekar, Rohit Kumar, Sahal Abdul Samad, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Udanta Singh Kumam
Forwards: Ishan Pandita, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Manvir Singh, Rahul Kannoly Praveen, Sunil Chhetri, Vikram Partap Singh
