AIFF name surprise AFC Challenge Cup probables

The AIFF have named 44 probables for the qualifiers for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup to be played in March 2011 in which India would face Turkmenistan, Pakistan and the qualifier Chinese Taipei.

What will come as a surprise is that after the 2011 AFC Asian Cup the federation has decided to get rid of most of the experienced players and rather rely on youngsters to get the team through the qualifiers. Missing from the probables list are seasoned internationals like captain Baichung Bhutia, Mahesh Gawli, Deepak Mondal, Climax Lawrence and Renedy Singh besides Subhashish Roy Chowdhury, Surkumar Singh, James Lukram Singh, N.P. Pradeep, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Clifford Miranda, Baljit Singh Sahni, Abhishek Yadav and Mohammed Rafi.

This will put added pressure on players like Subrata Pal, Gouramangi Singh, Steven Dias and Sunil Chhetri to lead such a young squad. All boys from the Indian Arrows have found their names amongst the probables as have all prbables selected for the Under-23 team.


INDIA Probables

Goalkeepers
Subrata Pal (Pune FC), Arindam Bhattacharya (Churchill Brothers SC), Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Indian Arrows), Jagroop Singh (Indian Arrows), Ravi Kumar (Indian Arrows)

Defenders
Denzil Franco (Churchill Brothers SC), Gouramangi Moirangthem Singh (Churchill Brothers SC), Anwar (Mohun Bagan AC), Nalappan Mohanraj (Mohun Bagan AC), Nirmal Chetri (East Bengal Club), Govin Moirangthem Singh (Salgaocar SC), Syed Rahim Nabi (East Bengal Club), Raju Eknath Gaekwad (Indian Arrows), R. Vishal Kumar (Indian Arrows), Abhishek Das (Indian Arrows), Deepak Devrani (Indian Arrows), Lalrozama Fenai (Indian Arrows), Souvik Ghosh (Indian Arrows), Inderpreet Singh (Indian Arrows), Prathamesh Maulingkar (Indian Arrows), N.S. Manju

Midfielders
Steven Benedic Dias (Churchill Brothers SC), Joaquim Abranches (Dempo SC), Baldeep Singh (JCT), Jagpreet Singh (JCT), Rakesh Masih (Mohun Bagan AC), Jewel Raja Sheikh (Indian Arrows), Shilton D'Silva (Indian Arrows), Akshay Kumar Mall (Indian Arrows), Subodh Kumar (Indian Arrows), Ongnam Milan Singh (Indian Arrows), Bikramjit Singh (Indian Arrows), Lalrindika Ralte (Indian Arrows), Trithankar Sarkar (Indian Arrows), Jibon Singh (Indian Arrows)

Forwards
Sunil Chhetri (Chirag United SC), Sushil Kumar Singh (East Bengal Club), C.S. Sabeeth (Viva Kerala), Jeje Lalpekhlua (Indian Arrows), Manandeep Singh (Indian Arrows), Robin Singh (East Bengal Club), Malsawmfela (Indian Arrows), Jagtar Singh (Indian Arrows), Holicharan Narzary