Manolo Marquez announces tentative India squad for Vietnam Tri-Nation friendlies

The Indian senior men’s team head coach Manolo Márquez, on Monday, September 30, 2024, announced a 26-member probables list for the Tri-Nation friendly tournament to be held in Vietnam in the October FIFA International Match Window.

The Blue Tigers will face hosts Vietnam (October 9) and Lebanon (October 12) at the Thiên Trường Stadium in Nam Định. The final list of 23 players will be released before the team travels to Vietnam.

India had a dismal run of results at the Intercontinental Cup earlier this month, as they registered a 0-0 draw against Mauritius and lost 0-3 to eventual champions Syria. Manolo Marquez faced pressure following his side’s underwhelming display as they could not manage to score even once.

Amidst goal-scoring concerns, the Spanish tactician has chopped and changed his probable list for the upcoming Tri-Nation Friendly in Vietnam in October. His initial squad includes veterans like Vishal Kaith, Farukh Choudhary, and Brandon Fernandes.

Marquez has also decided to hand out the first national call-ups for promising youngsters Lalrinliana Hnamte and Aakash Sangwan. However, the coach has also decided to leave out some notable performers in the Indian Super League (ISL) which include the likes of Nihal Sudeesh, Jithin MS, and Nikhil Prabhu.

Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Vishal Kaith.Defenders: Nikhil Poojary, Rahul Bheke, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Anwar Ali, Aakash Sangwan, Subhasish Bose, Asish Rai, Mehtab Singh, Roshan Singh Naorem.Midfielders: Suresh Singh Wangjam, Lalrinliana Hnamte, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Nandhakumar Sekar, Brandon Fernandes, Anirudh Thapa, Liston Colaco, Lalengmawia, Lallianzuala Chhangte.Forwards: Edmund Lalrindika, Farukh Chaudhary, Manvir Singh, Vikram Partap Singh, Rahim Ali.