New Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) — Khalid Jamil, the head coach of the Indian men's football team, has called on clubs and the All India Football Federation to engage in "constructive dialogue" to find a way to balance club and national team commitments. This comes after 14 players from three Indian Super League teams delayed joining the national camp, which is preparing for crucial Asian Cup qualifying matches against Singapore set for October 9 and 14.
Of the 30 players Jamil initially named for the camp, 14, including Bengaluru FC captain Sunil Chhetri, have not yet been released, while another player is sidelined due to illness. The camp in Bengaluru currently has 18 players after adding Brandon Fernandes, Asheer Akhtar, and Farukh Choudhary, but training has been hampered by a shortage of defenders, with only Hmingthanmawia Ralte and Asheer Akhtar available.
"Our preparations focus on team strategy rather than individual players," Jamil explained. "However, the absence of players in key positions has impacted our training sessions."
Bengaluru FC, East Bengal, and Punjab FC are the clubs delaying player releases, with the 14 players expected to join the camp later this month. Meanwhile, Jamil has left out players from Mohun Bagan SG and FC Goa due to their ongoing AFC Champions League Two commitments. Mohun Bagan faces Sepahan SC of Iran on September 30, and FC Goa takes on FC Istiklol of Tajikistan on October 1.
Jamil, formerly with NorthEast United and Jamshedpur FC, emphasized the clarity enjoyed with Mohun Bagan and FC Goa regarding their continental fixtures. "We respect their schedule and have planned accordingly," he said, hoping for similar understanding with all clubs in future.
His tenure got off to a positive start with a third-place finish in India's debut at the CAFA Nations Cup in Tajikistan earlier this month. Now, the focus shifts to the two critical Group C fixtures against Singapore in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Final Round Qualifiers. India is currently at the bottom of Group C with one point after two matches, while Singapore leads with four points.
Jamil stressed the importance of the upcoming matches. "Positive results can boost our qualification campaign, but setbacks would complicate our path," he noted.
Here is the list of players in the national camp: Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Defenders: Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Asheer Akhtar. Midfielders: Brandon Fernandes, Danish Farooq Bhat, Jithin MS, Macarton Louis Nickson, Mohammed Aimen, Vibin Mohanan. Forwards: Farukh Choudhary, Irfan Yadwad, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Manvir Singh (jr), Mohammed Sanan K, Parthib Gogoi, Vikram Partap Singh.
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