Shyam Thapa hospitalised after testing COVID-19 positive
Other Sports | April 07, 2021 14:56 ISTThe 73-year-old Indian football legend got himself admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata on Tuesday evening after his test report came positive.
The 73-year-old Indian football legend got himself admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata on Tuesday evening after his test report came positive.
The inclusion of OCI and PIO (Players of Indian Origin) has been a topic of debate in Indian football ever since Stephen Constantine spoke about the need for India to go down that route.
The international friendly matches are being played as part of preparations for the joint qualification round of 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup to be played in June.
Ten players made their debut against Oman on Thursday as India made a fine comeback in the second half to hold the gulf side who are 23 places above them in the FIFA charts.
The team is currently in Dubai where they are preparing to face the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday.
Manvir Singh scored the equaliser in the 55th minute to help India pull off a rare draw against Oman.
India vs Oman International Friendly 2021 Live Streaming: Find full details on when and where to watch IND vs OMA Live Online on Eurosport
Stimac said the team was starting from the scratch after disruption by COVID-19 pandemic and added that he would not expect much from them in the two matches.
The Indian team is currently training in Dubai ahead of the FIFA friendlies against Oman and UAE.
The Bengaluru FC skipper is set to miss the two friendlies in Dubai on March 25 (UAE) and 29 (Oman) after he tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month.
India play Oman on March 25 and face the UAE on March 29. The squad landed in Dubai on Sunday and had a meeting with coach Igor Stimac late evening.
While the match against Oman is scheduled for March 25, the game against UAE is slated to be played on March 29. Both the fixtures will be held in Dubai.
The Indian team would have played against Qatar at home, Bangladesh away and Afghanistan at home, but the global pandemic has forced radical changes in the fixtures.
The final list of 28 players will be announced after the Indian Super League final, which is slated to take place on March 13.
The brand-new kit, dubbed the 'Panthera Tigris', will continue to feature the tiger stripes, cementing the identity of the national team's 'Blue Tigers'.
Choosing from a list of 29 players, fans can vote for their picks in each position.
Supporting AIFF President Praful Patel's view, the sports ministry asked the AIFF to prepare a "concrete and actionable" roadmap to work towards the women team's qualification in the 2027 World Cup.
Head coach Thomas Dennerby could continue, but the journey of several of his Indian players has ended even before they could hit the road to fame, courtesy the cancellation of next year's FIFA Women's U-17 World Cup.
Though out of contention of a 2022 FIFA World Cup berth, the Indian team is still to play three matches in the round 2 qualifiers -- against Qatar (at home), Bangladesh (away) and Afghanistan (at home).
Stimac says that the 4-2-3-1 formation which he prefers is the "best system for Indian football".
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