The Indian football team has added midfielder Brandon Fernandes and defender Asheer Akhtar to its national camp in preparation for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against Singapore. Head coach Khalid Jamil will lead the 30-member probables squad, as announced by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Friday.
Following India’s strong third-place finish at the CAFA Nations Cup, Jamil has included football legend Sunil Chhetri among the probables. The national camp will commence on Saturday in Bengaluru, where players will undergo training and tactical preparations ahead of the two-legged matches. India will face Singapore on October 9 at the National Stadium and on October 14 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao, Goa.
The final squad for the qualifiers will be selected from this pool of 30 players. The CAFA Nations Cup marked Jamil’s first assignment as India’s head coach after taking over from Manolo Marquez, during which he strategically rested key players like Chhetri to manage workload.
Fernandes and Akhtar’s inclusion reflects the management’s focus on blending experience with emerging talent as India gears up for crucial qualifiers in Group C.