Clifford Miranda pleas clubs to release players for AFC U-23 Championships Qualifiers

Only 12 out of the 28 players have joined the camp till now.

The AFC U-23 Championship Qualifiers are set to commence on September 6 in Dalian, China, and the Indian squad is scheduled to depart on September 4.

A considerable portion of the footballers summoned for the national training camp prior to the AFC U-23 Championship Qualifiers have not yet joined the camp. Clifford Miranda, the head coach, made an earnest plea to the clubs on Sunday, urging them to release their players.

Presently, merely 12 out of the 28 players have reported for the camp, which kicked off on Friday. The remainder are being withheld due to “club commitments.” Miranda’s appeal to the clubs emphasizes the importance of considering the broader context.

The competition’s commencement is slated for September 6 in Dalian, China. The Indian team is part of Group G alongside the UAE, Maldives, and China. Their debut match is against the Maldives on September 6, followed by encounters with host China on September 9 and the UAE on September 12.

Clifford Miranda shared his concerns in an interaction with PTI from Bhubaneswar, stating, “I am currently training with only 12 players. The rest have yet to be released by their respective clubs. It’s a nerve-wracking situation.” He added, “Merely five clubs have granted permission for their players to attend the camp. Other clubs are indicating their intention to do so within the FIFA window (September 4-12). While they might be technically correct, I am appealing to them to consider the bigger picture.”

He underscored the significance of the national team and national pride in striving for success in a significant international tournament.

Of the players who have joined the camp, four are from Mohun Bagan Super Giant, three from FC Goa, two from Bengaluru FC, and one each from Gokulam Kerala, NorthEast United, and Hyderabad FC.

Several clubs including East Bengal, Kerala Blasters, Mumbai City FC, Jamshedpur FC, Odisha FC, and Punjab FC are yet to release their players.

Miranda expressed gratitude to the clubs that have released their players and remains optimistic that other clubs will follow suit, allowing for some collaborative training sessions. Chennaiyin FC have conveyed that two of their players will arrive at the camp on Monday. However, Bikash Yumnam, their third player, sustained an injury during their Durand Cup match.

While Miranda is less concerned about the players’ fitness, as he believes their clubs are tending to that aspect, he highlighted the novelty of this team and the lack of prior play-time together. He acknowledged the challenge in determining the optimal team combination for formidable opponents like Maldives, UAE, and China. Ideally, a more extended camp would have been beneficial, but with only seven days left, he is faced with a constrained timeframe and not all players present. The training camp must conclude by September 3.

Originally planned for August 12, the camp was rescheduled to begin on August 25 due to initial reluctance from the clubs to release their players. Out of the five players called up for the camp who are also part of the Indian squad for the upcoming Asian Games, Amarjit Singh Kiyam (Punjab FC), Narender Gahlot (Odisha FC), and Vikram Pratap Singh (Mumbai City FC) are yet to attend the U-23 camp.

Interestingly, all 28 players had recently gathered in Delhi to complete visa-related formalities. Surprisingly, 16 of them returned to their clubs without participating in the camp. When questioned about the course of action if the remaining players do not join the camp, Miranda expressed hope that clubs would release the players as anticipated. He also confirmed India’s commitment to the tournament, stating, “We will choose and bring 23 players to China. Under no circumstance will we forfeit the tournament.”

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