The Indian football icon Sunil CHETRI was omitted from the newly mentioned head coach Khalid Jamila’s 35-man list for the upcoming Cafa Nations Cup, which will start on August 29 in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The omitting of a forty -year -old attacker who was the face of Indian football raises questions about his international future. Neither the All India (AIFF) football Federation nor the Jamil provided an explanation, and the AIFF indicates that the coach should be directly asked by the decision.
CHETRI, currently closed to Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL), also navigates the uncertainty at the club level. Bengalur has recently announced the salaries of the first team and employees’ team due to the unclear future of ISL. Despite this, several Bengalur players, including Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Rahul Bheke, Roshan Singh Naore, Suresh Singh Wangjam and Chinglensana Singh, were included in the List List.
CHETRI officially left an international duty In June 2024, but at the beginning of this year the short comeback. Former coach Manolo Marquez persuaded him to return in March for the qualifications of the Asian Cup, where he performed in four games and once scored in the victory of 3-0 against the Maldives. However, the Indian campaign has cooled and Goaless draw against Bangladesh And the loss in Hong Kong and leaves their qualifying hopes for the Asian Cup 2027 at risk.
So far, 22 of the 35 probability said they had been camping, and the remaining players were expected to be completed after the Durand Cup commitments were completed. The absence comes from seven of I can Bagan, including Anirudh Thapa, Pozon Colaco and reached Abdul Samad; three from East Bengal, including Anwar Ali and Jeakson Singh; and one of the Northeast United, Jithin MS.
India was drawn in the group B Cafa Nations Cup together with hosts Tajikistan, Iran and Afghanistan. Blue Tigers open a campaign against Tajikistan on August 29, followed by Iran 1 September and Afghanistan 4 September. The final and third place of the playoffs will take place on 8 September in Himor and Tashkent.
The AIFF also urged clubs to release their players for a tournament when preparations for the qualifications of the Asian Cup against Singapore in October.
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Published:
Amar Pancker
Published on:
August 16, 2025
