Suhail earns India call-up for Thailand friendly; Anwar returns in build-up to Asian Cup qualifiers

Kolkata, May 28 (PTI) Suhail Ahmad Bhat on Wednesday become the latest footballer from Jammu and Kashmir to earn an India call-up as head coach Manolo Marquez announced a 28-member squad for an international friendly against Thailand on June 4.

The fixture in Thailand is part of India's preparations for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers Final Round, where the Blue Tigers will face Hong Kong on June 10 in Kowloon City.

The 20-year-old central forward, who hails from Bemnia region of Srinagar, was a key figure in Mohun Bagan Super Giant's triumphant Indian Super League campaign last season and is seen as a promising attacking talent.

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.

The squad, which includes talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri, who came out of retirement in March to bolster a struggling side, had been camping in Kolkata for the past 10 days.

In Kolkata, Marquez's men underwent six full days of training, with gym sessions in the mornings and on-pitch training in the evenings.

The Blue Tigers played two practice matches on May 26 and 27.

On Monday, they won 2-1 against Santosh Trophy Champions Bengal, with Brandon Fernandes and Ashique Kuruniyan finding the net.

They registered a 3-0 victory over North 24 Parganas as Chhetri, Chinglensana Singh Konsham and Udanta Singh Kumam scored the goals on Tuesday.

The Blue Tigers are placed in Group C of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Final Round Qualifiers alongside Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

The group stage will follow a home-and-away round-robin format.

"All 28 players participating in the ongoing camp in Kolkata will travel to Thailand for the FIFA friendly against the hosts, scheduled for June 4," the All India Football Federation said in a release on Wednesday.

Before Suhail, midfielder Danish Farooq was the most recent Kashmiri to play for India, featuring in two friendlies against Bahrain and Belarus under Igor Stimac in 2022.

Mehrajuddin Wadoo remains one of the most prominent names from the region, having earned 32 caps between 2005 and 2011.

Wadoo, hailing from Srinagar’s Rainawari area, famously scored the winning goal against Bangladesh in the 2005 SAFF Cup final in Karachi.

He was also part of India's victorious campaigns in the 2007 and 2009 Nehru Cup and the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup.

India had a lacklustre showing at the AFC Asian Cup 2023, where they failed to earn a single point or score a goal in their group-stage matches against Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria.

The current qualifying campaign also began on a shaky note, with a goalless draw against Bangladesh on March 25.

Squad Goalkeepers: Hrithik Tiwari, Vishal Kaith, Gurmeet Singh, Amrinder Singh.

Defenders: Naorem Roshan Singh, Rahul Bheke, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Anwar Ali, Boris Singh Thangjam, Sandesh Jhingan, Asish Rai, Subhasish Bose, Mehtab Singh, Abhishek Singh Tekcham.

Midfielders: Suresh Singh Wangjam, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Udanta Singh Kumam, Lalengmawia Ralte, Liston Colaco, Ashique Kuruniyan, Brandon Fernandes, Nikhil Prabhu.

Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Edmund Lalrindika, Manvir Singh, Suhail Ahmad Bhat, Lallianzuala Chhangte.

Head Coach: Manolo Márquez; Assistant Coach: Mahesh Gawali; Assistant Coach: Benito Montalvo; Goalkeeper Coach: Marc Gamon; Strength and Conditioning Coach: Jose Carlos Barroso. PTI TAP APA APA