Four Malayalees in Indian squad to face Brazil, Uruguay; Coach Khalid Jamil announces team

NEW DELHI: Indian football coach Khalid Jamil announced a 26-member squad for the international friendlies against Brazil, Panama and Uruguay to be played this month and next. Malayalees Ashique Kuruniyan, Sahal Abdul Samad, Mohammed Sanan and Bijoy Varghese made it into the team.

India's first match is against Panama in Bengaluru on the 26th of this month. The match against Brazil will be in Kolkata on October 3. The India-Uruguay match will also be played at the same venue on October 6.

India is ranked 138th, while Brazil is fifth, Uruguay is 20th, and Panama is 44th in the FIFA rankings.

Full squad:

Goalkeepers: Albino Gomes, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, Som Kumar.

Defenders: Abhishek Singh Tekcham, Akash Mishra, Anwar Ali, Bijoy Varghese, Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Jay Gupta, Pramveer, Ricky Meetei Haobam. Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Ashique Kuruniyan, Farukh Choudhary, Lalengmawia Ralte, Macarton Nickson, Mohammed Sanan, Ricky Shabong, Sahal Abdul Samad.

Forwards: Edmund Lalrindika, Irfan Yadwad, Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Ryan Williams, Vikram Partap Singh.

Head coach: Khalid Jamil