New Delhi, June 5 || Indian men’s national team head coach Manolo Marquez has trimmed his squad to 25 players for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong on June 10.
Initially, the Indian team travelled to Thailand with a 28-member squad for a FIFA international friendly, which ended in a 2-0 defeat on Wednesday.
Goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari, along with defenders Mehtab Singh and Subhasish Bose, have been released from the squad and will return to India directly from Thailand. The remaining 25 players have now moved to Bangkok to continue preparations for the crucial clash against Hong Kong.
India opened their qualifying campaign with a goalless draw against Bangladesh in March. Following the recent loss to Thailand, the pressure is mounting ahead of the vital away fixture. All four teams in India’s group are currently tied with one point each after the first round of matches.
In a thrilling match on Wednesday, India showed flashes of brilliance and grit, only to be undone by moments of precision from their opponents. Goals from Benjamin Davis (8’) in the first half and Poramet Arjvilai (59’) in the second were enough to seal the win for Thailand, while India, though spirited and creative at times, were left ruing missed opportunities and costly defensive lapses.