India coach Koevermans names squad of 23 players for 2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers

Indian national team coach Wim Koevermans has named his final 23 players squad ahead of the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers to be played next month in Myanmar.

Team India have been drawn in Group A of the qualifiers alongside the hosts Myanmar, Chinese Taipei and Guam with Chinese Taipei the opponent in the first match on March 2.

The squad would be leaving Mumbai late on Monday, February 25 evening and reach Yangon the next day morning. However, the four Churchill Brothers players – Sandip Nandy, Denzil Franco, Lenny Rodrigues and Sunil Chhetri – who would be doing duty for their club in the AFC Cup would be joining the rest of squad on February 27; while the three East Bengal players - Raju Gaikwad, Mehtab Hossain and Robin Singh - would be joining the squad on February 28 in Yangon.

Those omitted from the final squad include Subhasish Roy Chowdhury (Dempo SC), Peter Carvalho (Dempo SC), Asif K. (Prayag United SC), Shylo Malswam Tulunga (Prayag United SC) and Sushil Kumar Singh (Shillong Lajong FC); while Sandesh Jhingan (United Sikkim FC), Arnab Mondal (East Bengal Club) and Joaquim Abranches (Dempo SC) had to leave the camp due to injury.

Meanwhile Karanjit Singh, Jeje Lalpekhlua and Rowilson Rodrigues make a comeback into the squad.


INDIA

Goalkeepers
Sandip Nandy (Churchill Brothers SC), Subrata Pal (Prayag United SC), Karanjit Singh (Salgaocar FC)

Defenders
Nirmal Chettri (Mohun Bagan AC), Raju Eknath Gaikwad (East Bengal Club), Denzil Franco (Churchill Brothers SC), Souvik Ghosh (Pailan Arrows), Syed Rahim Nabi (Mohun Bagan AC), Rowilson Rodrigues (Dempo SC), Gouramangi Moirangthem Singh (Prayag United SC), Gurjinder Kumar Singh (Pune FC)

Midfielders
Izumi Arata (Pune FC), Lalkamal Bhowmick (Prayag United SC), Francis Fernandes (Salgaocar FC), Alwyn George (Pailan Arrows), Mehtab Hossain (East Bengal Club), Clifford Miranda (Dempo SC), Jewel Raja Sheikh (Mohun Bagan AC), Lenny Rodrigues (Churchill Brothers SC), C.K. Vineeth (Prayag United SC)

Forwards
Sunil Chhetri (Churchill Brothers SC), Jeje Lalpekhlua (Pune FC), Robin Singh (East Bengal Club)

Officials
Wim Koevermans (Head Coach), Savio Medeira (Assistant Coach), Marcus Pacheco (Goalkeeping Coach)