Football: India vs. Singapore - Full Squad Confirmed for Key AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers
Sunil Chhetri, Sandhesh Jhingan among returning stars for India
Khalid Jamil’s next assignment as the head coach of the Indian national team will begin this week, when his side heads into a crucial double header against Singapore in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.
The Blue Tigers are faced with an uphill battle, currently languishing at the bottom of Group C with just one point from two games (1-1 vs. Bangladesh), while Singapore and Hong Kong are on four points each at the top of the standings.
With this being the third and final round of qualifying, there are just six spots left to fill for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, meaning only the group winners will earn entry to the competition! Keep an eye on our football predictions for our experts’ Asian Cup qualifier insights.
Jamil’s tenure as India’s head coach began positively, as he guided his team to third place at the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup with an against-the-odds victory over higher-ranked Oman on penalties in the bronze-medal match.
The former Jamshedpur FC boss explained that he is focused on taking it “one game at a time” in an interview this weekend, just after revealing the 23-man squad that will travel to Singapore for their key qualifier fixture on Thursday.
Headlining the Blue Tigers’ squad that departed for Singapore on Monday afternoon was the nation’s all-time top scorer, Sunil Chhetri, who was rested by Jamil for the CAFA Nations Cup, with this tournament being targeted for the 41-year-old’s return.
In addition to the 23 travelling players, Jamil has also confirmed a further two - Hrithik Tiwari and Muhammed Suhail - as reserves for the return leg on November 14 in Goa.
India squad to face Singapore in Asian Cup Qualifiers
Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.
Defenders: Anwar Ali, Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Muhammed Uvais, Pramveer, Rahul Bheke, Sandesh Jhingan
Midfielders: Brandon Fernandes, Danish Farooq, Deepak Tangri, Macarton Nickson, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Nikhil Prabhu, Sahal Abdul Samad, Udanta Singh
Forwards: Farukh Choudhary, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rahim Ali, Sunil Chhetri, Vikram Pratap Singh
Match details:
Date: 9 October 2025
Time: 17:00 IST
Venue: National Stadium, Singapore
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