Newly appointed India head coach Khalid Jamil on Sunday cleared the air about the leaving out of talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri from the CAFA Nations Cup national camp, saying it was just a preparatory tournament for the crucial Asian Cup qualifying round matches in October.
Stimac has prioritised qualification to the third round and secure a direct entry into the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
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.
Italy rejects a proposal by Trump envoy Paolo Zampolli to replace Iran at the FIFA World Cup 2026, as officials insist qualification must be earned on merit.
Riding on a Sunil Chhetri hat-trick, India on Wednesday thrashed defending champions Tajikistan 4-1 in the final of AFC Challenge Cup football tournament and qualified for the Asian Cup after a hiatus of 24 years.
The Indian U17 women's team defeated Myanmar 2-0 in an international friendly match, with Pritika Barman scoring both goals. The match is part of India's preparation for the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup.
Iraq's participation in the inter-confederation play-offs in Mexico that will decide two berths at this year's FIFA World Cup is in doubt because of the travel chaos triggered by the conflict in neighbouring Iran.
Williams, Bharti join camp, signalling new chapter for Indian football
Southampton confirmed that they had signed 23-year-old Walker-Peters, who spent the second half of last season on loan at the club. British media put the fee at 12 million pounds.
India women's football team face Chinese Taipei in a crucial AFC Women's Asian Cup match, needing a victory to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.
The camp began in Bengaluru on Thursday.
India face hosts Tajikistan on August 29 followed by matches against Iran on September 1 and Afghanistan on September 4.
Women's Asian Cup hosts India are "considered to have withdrawn" from the tournament in accordance with competition rules after a COVID-19 outbreak forced their match against Taiwan to be cancelled, the Asian Football Confederation said on Monday.
Khalid Jamil's rise can't exactly be termed as meteoric but the last eight years has been nothing less than extraordinary for the 48-year-old, who on Friday took over reins of the national men's football team.
The Indian football team showed a lot of character and resilience in its title-winning Intercontinental Cup campaign and the attitude would be crucial to ensuring that the country doesn't just make up the numbers in next year's AFC Asian Cup, believes national coach Stephane Constantine.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has announced a multi-year partnership with Dream Sports Foundation (DSF) to strengthen U16 football in India, focusing on grassroots development and a cohesive pathway for young players.
Sunil Chhetri likened the national team setup with his home and expressed his relief at returning to where he belongs
The hosts for India's home leg against Kuwait on June 6 next year will be confirmed at a later date.
Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran, Uzbekistan and Jordan have already taken six of Asia's eight guaranteed spots at next year's 48-team World Cup.
The Indian U-17 women's football team defeated Myanmar 3-2 in a friendly match, with substitutes playing a key role in the late comeback victory.
Pressure will be on India against Singapore, but Jhingan available for matches: Jamil
Crisis-hit Lebanon has withdrawn from qualifying for the 2007 Asian Cup football.
The senior India squad began its preparatory camp in Bengaluru on August 15 ahead of next month's CAFA Nations Cup, but 13 players, including seven from Mohun Bagan, have skipped the camp.
India has a population of 1.3 billion but the nation's obsession with and success on the cricket pitch has left it a massive underachiever on the football field.
India football head coach Manolo Marquez stepped down on Wednesday after reaching a 'mutual agreement' with the All Indian Football Federation.
Indian football team head coach Khalid Jamil on Wednesday announced 23 probables for the inconsequential Asian Cup qualifiers match against Bangladesh and talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri's name is missing from the list.
Chhetri is currently the highest goal-scoring active Asian player with 64 strikes from 101 matches and third in the world after superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
The group stage Asian Cup exit turning out to be one bitter pill that he found too hard to swallow.
'Yes, this is an away game against a good team, but we have to prepare accordingly and think only of one thing -- a positive result.'
Three shortlisted for Indian football team's coach role; Constantine, Jamil in the mix
The escalating conflict involving the U.S. and Israel with Iran has led to widespread disruption in the world of sports, with events postponed, travel plans thrown into chaos, and athletes seeking asylum.
India, currently ranked 132nd in the FIFA world rankings, have never played in the World Cup finals and kick off the latest phase of their attempt to qualify for the Asian Cup on Tuesday when they take on Myanmar in Yangon.
Kalyan Chaubey alluded to lack of goals from the Indian strikers, which he said could be one of the reasons for the poor show by the team under Manolo Marquez.
All eyes on Chhetri as India face Maldives in friendly ahead of Asian Cup qualifier.
India football coach Bob Houghton heaped praise on his charges for their "immense desire to win" in difficult conditions. India rode on an 82nd minute goal by striker Sunil Chhetri to beat Myanmar 1-0 and book a berth in the final of the of the eight-nation AFC Challenge Cup tournament, the winner of which will qualify for the 2011 Asian Cup.
Uzbekistan earn first World Cup qualification, Australia, Jordan close in
Each team will play six matches, and the one with the most points will be crowned champion.
India aim to rebuild in inconsequential Dhaka tie vs Bangladesh
India need nothing more than a win against a tricky Syria to keep alive their faint hopes of making the knockout stage.
Chhetri's record against the neighbours is quite impressive, scoring four goals in eight matches including a spectacular strike from a free kick in Kolkata in 2022.
