India Football at Asian Games 2023: Full teams, Schedule, Medal chances

After a nine-year hiatus, Indian football is set to return to the Asian Games, with both the men's and women's teams aiming to reclaim past glory.

The men's team is riding a wave of positivity, clinching victories in the Intercontinental Cup and SAFF Championship. They've climbed two spots in the FIFA world rankings, breaking into the top 100. But at the Asian Games, they will face their toughest test for a while.

As for the women's team, they missed the Asian Cup last year due to a COVID-19 outbreak and will be looking to give a performance fitting of the stage. Ranked 11th in Asia, they should have had a better chance than the men's team of getting close to a medal, but the luck of the draw has meant that they are expected to face a stiff challenge in making it out of their group.

Indian Men's Football Team

Squad

Goalkeepers: Gurmeet Singh, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, Vishal Yadav

Defenders: Sumit Rathi, Narender Gahlot, Deepak Tangri, Sandesh Jhingan, Chinglensana Singh, Lalchungnunga.

Midfielders: Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Samuel James Lyngdoh, Rahul KP, Abdul Rabeeh, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Bryce Miranda, Azfar Noorani, Vincy Barretto.

Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Rahim Ali, Rohit Danu, Gurkirat Singh, Aniket Jadhav.

Fixtures for men’s football team

• September 19: China vs India - (17:00 IST, Hangzhou)
• September 21: India vs Bangladesh (13:30 IST, Xiaoshan)
• September 24: Myanmar vs India (17:00 IST, Xiaoshan)
• September 27 or 28: Men’s Round of 16
• October 1: Men’s Quarter-final
• October 4: Men’s Semi-final
• October 7: Men’s Gold/Bronze medal match

Indian Women's Football Team

Squad

Goalkeepers: Sowmiya, Linthoi, Shreya Hooda

Defenders: Ashalata Devi, Sweety, Sanju, Ritu Rani, Ranjana, Dalima Chibber, Astam Oraon

Midfielders: Priyangka, Anju Tamang, Indumathi, Sangita

Forwards: Dangmei Grace, Soumya, Manisha, Renu, Sandhiya, Pyari Xaxa, Jyoti, Bala Devi

Fixtures for women's team

• September 21: Chinese Taipei vs 🇮🇳 India - Women's Group B (17:00 IST, Wenzhou)
• September 24: India 🇮🇳 vs 🇹🇭 Thailand - Women's Group B (17:00 IST, Wenzhou)
• September 30: Women's Quarter Finals
• October 3: Women's Semi Finals
• October 6: Women's Gold/Bronze medal match

India at Asian games 2023: Medal Chances in Football

Indian Men's Football Team | Asian Rank - 18th | Possible Finish - Round of 16

The Indian men's football team is expected to qualify for the knockout stage, but are likely to face a stiff test in the round of 16 against Saudi Arabia/Iran.

Among the other Group A teams - China, Myanmar, and Bangladesh - only China boasts a higher ranking. Qualification from the group stage looks promising, as up to four third-placed teams across the six groups will also qualify for the round of 16.

In the round of 16, however, India face a stiff test. If they finish 2nd in Group A behind China, they will face the runner-up of Group B. Group B, unfortunately, has Iran and Saudi Arabia, two of the best Asian teams.

Indian Women's Football Team | Asian Rank - 11th | Possible Finish - Will not progress to knockouts

The women's team, ranked 11th in Asia, are placed in Group B, which also has Chinese Taipei (6th in Asia) and Thailand (8th in Asia). With a maximum of two teams to make it to the quarterfinals, India are not expected to make it.

If they do manage to pull off an upset or two and make it out of the group, they are likely to face either China or North Korea/Cambodia/Singapore in the quarterfinals. The chances of progressing will be more if they can avoid China in the last 8. However, even if they win against North Korea/Cambodia/Singapore in the quarterfinals, Japan is expected to be be waiting in the semifinals.

India at Asian Games: Football Records

Indian men's football team initially excelled in the early years of the Asian Games, winning gold in 1951. In 1962 they won another gold and one more medal (bronze) in 1970. After that, their performance declined, with a few exceptions, like reaching the knockout stage in 2010. In 2014, they hit a low point, finishing poorly. India is a two-time Asian Games football champion and ranks third in the competition's history.

Gold Medal - 1951, 1962

Bronze - 1970

The Indian women's football team debuted at the Asian Games in 1998, finishing eighth and conceding 36 goals while scoring only one. They returned in 2014 after a 16-year gap, winning against the Maldives but finishing ninth out of 11 teams, with defeats to South Korea and Thailand.