Three players released from Indian Football Team camp ahead of Hong Kong clash

Manolo Marquez named a 25-member squad for the qualifier match against Hong Kong

Following a defeat in the International FIFA friendly match against Thailand, Indian Football Team head coach Manolo Marquez has announced a 25-member travelling squad to Hong Kong for the final round qualifier match of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers 2027.

Indian Football Team suffered a humiliating 2-0 defeat against Thailand in the recent FIFA international friendly, which can be seen a negative outcome ahead of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. The Blue Tigers must evaluate their mistakes and improve their performance.

Head coach Manolo Marquez has announced the 25-member travelling squad for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifier match against Hong Kong! #IndianFootball #IndianFootballTeam #BlueTigers #SunilChhetri #SC11 pic.twitter.com/3WVdM5gSZp

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) June 5, 2025

The initial call-up by Indian Football Team head coach Manolo Marquez saw 28 players selected for the friendly match, which was a preparation camp leading up to the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier. The Blue Tigers squad has now been reduced to its final size of 25 members who will be travelling to Hong Kong.

Three players have been released from the Indian Football Team camp and will be travelling back to India directly from Thailand. Here are the players who have been released from the squad.

3. Hrithik Tiwari

FC Goa had an incredible season and saw the emergence of many young players. One of such players was Hrithik Tiwari. He began the season as the third-choice Goalkeeper for FC Goa but only got his opportunity as both the keepers, Laxmikant Kattimani and Lara Sharma, were injured. He made an immediate impact, securing a clean sheet in his debut.

That was the turning point for the Guwahati-born Goalkeeper as he never looked back. Hrithik quickly established himself as FC Goa’s Goalkeeper, playing every single game with the club thereafter.

He played for an entire 1,710 minutes in 19 appearances, proving his talent with 7 clean sheets, placing him in fourth position among the top keepers in the league. His contributions were also key to the club’s victory at the Super Cup. Despite this, Hrithik Tiwari has been released from the Indian Football Team Camp.

2. Mehtab Singh

Mehtab Singh was one of the key players for the former ISL Cup Winners, Mumbai City FC. He has been an anchor in the defence for the Islanders, recording a total of 10 clean sheets.

Beyond his contribution to the clean sheets, Mehtab also proved his skills with 19 blocks, which proved his importance in stopping the attacks from the opposition. He also showed his attacking flair with a goal and an assist to his name.

He made 23 appearances for the Islanders and played for a total of 2070 minutes. He has also been credited with 18 interceptions, winning 33 aerial duels and a passing accuracy of 88%. Despite these statistics and his consistent form, Mehtab was released from the latest Indian Football Team squad.

1. Subhashish Bose

Subhashish Bose has had an incredible season with Mohun Bagan Super Giant, where he was the captain of the team and led them to winning both the ISL Cup and the Shield. He was also named the AIFF Men’s player of the season for 2024-25.

His defensive skills were evident as Mohun Bagan Super Giant recorded the highest number of clean sheets in a season, with a total of 13 clean sheets.

Despite being a defender, he also demonstrated his goal-scoring skills by finding the back of the net 6 times. Despite winning the nation’s top individual footballing award and his unparalleled success with the Mariners, Bose has also been released from the Indian Football Team for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.

Indian Football Team’s squad for the AFC Asian Cup qualifier

• Goalkeepers: Vishal Kaith, Gurmeet Singh, Amrinder Singh
• Defenders: Naorem Roshan Singh, Rahul Bheke, Konsham Chinglensana Singh, Anwar Ali, Thangjam Boris Singh, Sandesh Jhingan, Asish Rai, Tekcham Abhishek Singh
• Midfielders: Suresh Singh Wangjam, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Nikhil Prabhu, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Udanta Singh Kumam, Lalengmawia Ralte, Liston Colaco, Brandon Fernandes, Ashique Kuruniyan
• Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Edmund Lalrindika, Manvir Singh, Suhail Ahmad Bhat, Lallianzuala Chhangte
• Head Coach: Manolo Marquez

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.