Indian men’s football team head coach Igor Stimac, on Friday, named a list of 26 probables for the Merdeka Cup 2023, to be played in Malaysia from October 13-17.
The Merdeka Cup 2023 will be a four-team affair with hosts Malaysia, Palestine, and Tajikistan as the other participating teams. The tournament will follow a knockout format, with India scheduled to take on hosts Malaysia in the second semi-final on October 13. Meanwhile, Palestine and Tajikistan will clash in the first semi-final earlier on the same day.
Mark your calendars for October 17, as it has been set as the day for the final showdown and the third-place match, which will feature the two losing semi-finalists.
The final list of 23 players who will represent India in Malaysia will be announced in the second week of October. Below is the list of 26 probable players:
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Vishal Kate, and Dheeraj Singh |
| Defenders | Nikhil Poojari, Roshan Singh, Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Mehtab Singh, Lalchungnunga, Akash Mishra, and Subhashish Bose |
| Midfielders | Jeakson Singh, Suresh Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Rohit Kumar, Sahal Abdul Samad, Brandon Fernandes, Lalianzuala Chhangte, Udanta Singh, Vikram Pratap Singh, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Liston Colaco, and Nandhakumar Sekar |
| Forwards | Sunil Chhetri and Manvir Singh |
This selection of probables represents a strong squad with a mix of experienced players and promising talents. As the tournament approaches, the anticipation among football enthusiasts in India is building up. The final squad of 23 players will have the crucial task of bringing glory to the nation.