AIFF announces India squad for 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) recently released the list of 28 probables for the national team's preparatory camp. The camp is scheduled to be held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, starting from August 12 and will continue until September 3. The AIFF Secretary, Shaji Prabhakaran, confirmed that the final team will travel to PR China to participate in the AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers.

The tournament holds immense importance as it serves as the pathway for talented young Indian players to showcase their abilities on an international stage and prepare for potential future contributions to the senior national team.

The qualifiers will take place in PR China, and India's U-23 team will face tough opponents during the group stage matches. The matches are scheduled as follows: India will take on the Maldives on September 6, face the host nation China on September 9, and finally, play against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on September 12.

However, there is a challenge for the selected players as well. After being released for the preparatory camp, they will be away from their respective clubs for more than a month. They will only rejoin their clubs on September 15, just a week before the anticipated start of the next edition of the Indian Super League (ISL).

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Sachin Suresh, Hrithik Tiwari, Prabhsukhan Gill, Arsh Anwer Shaikh

Defenders: Narender Gahlot, Hormipam Ruivah, Bikash Yumnam, Halen Nongtdu, Sanjeev Stalin, Sumit Rathi

Midfielders: Thoiba Singh, Lalrinliana Hnamte, Jiteshwor Singh, Ayush Chhetri, Vibin Mohanan, Jitendra Singh, Brison Fernandes, Amarjit Singh, Sourav K

Forwards: Vikram Pratap Singh, Prathib Gogoi, Abdul Rabeeh, Rohit Danu, Ninthoinganba Meetei, Gurkirat Singh, Ayush Chhikara, Sivasakthi Narayanan and Suhail Bhat