Indian Football Team full Schedule with Asian Games: Dates, squad, men’s and women’s teams

India tasted success twice at the Asian Games in men’s football, winning gold in the inaugural edition in 1951 and repeating the feat in 1962.

Sunil Chhetri, India’s highest goal scorer of all time, will lead the team for the Hangzhou Games and will hope for similar results achieved by the Blue Tigers over 60 years ago. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The Indian men’s national Football team will start its Asian Games 2022 campaign against China as it hopes to shine on its return to the tournament after nine years.

The Blue Tigers are ranked 18th in Asia, which is out of the threshold ranking for Asian Games qualification.

But the Sports Ministry, through a special exemption, allowed both the men’s and women’s teams to compete in the Asian Games set to be played in Hangzhou from September 23-October 8, 2023.

There are six groups in the men’s competition. The top two teams from each group and the four best third-placed teams will advance to the round of 16.

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India tasted success twice at the Asian Games in men’s football, winning gold in the inaugural edition in 1951 and repeating the feat in 1962.

This time, Sunil Chhetri, India’s highest goal scorer of all time, will lead the team for the Hangzhou Games and will hope for similar results achieved by the Blue Tigers over 60 years ago.

Indian men’s football team schedule for Asian Games:

September 19: China vs India - (17:00 IST, Hangzhou)

September 21: India vs Bangladesh (13:30 IST, Xiaoshan)

September 24: Myanmar vs India (17:00 IST, Xiaoshan)

September 27 or 28: Men’s Round of 16

October 1: Men’s Quarter-final

October 4: Men’s Semi-final

October 7: Men’s Gold/Bronze medal match

Indian men’s team for Asian Games:

Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Gurmeet Singh, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem.

Defenders: Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Narender Gahlot, Lalchungnunga, Akash Mishra, Roshan Singh, Ashish Rai.

Midfielders: Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Apuia Ralte, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Rahul KP, Naorem Mahesh Singh.

Forwards: Siva Sakthi Narayanan, Rahim Ali, Aniket Jadhav, Vikram Partap Singh, Rohit Danu, Sunil Chhetri.

Head Coach: Igor Stimac.

Blue Tigresses up against Chinese Taipei in opener

The women’s team will start its Asian Games campaign against Chinese Taipei on September 21. The top team from each group and the three best second-placed teams will progress to the quarterfinals.

The Indian team will be coached by Thomas Dennerby, the Swede who coached Nigeria to the FIFA Women’s World Cup round of 16 in 2015. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The Blue Tigresses will be in action in competitive football after a 5-0 win over Kyrgyzstan in the first round of Olympic Qualifiers in June 2023 and will hope to continue the same momentum in China.

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In their last appearance at the Asiad, they finished ninth out of 11 teams – a statistic they will hope to forget with better results this time around.

The team will be coached by Thomas Dennerby, the Swede who steered Nigeria to the FIFA Women’s World Cup round of 16 in 2015.

Indian women’s football team schedule for Asian Games:

September 21: Chinese Taipei vs India - Women’s Group B (17:00 IST, Wenzhou)

September 24: India vs Thailand - Women’s Group B (17:00 IST, Wenzhou)

September 30: Women’s Quarter-final

October 3: Women’s Semi-final

October 6: Women’s Gold/Bronze medal match

Indian Women’s Football Squad for Asian Games:

Goalkeepers: Shreya Hooda, Sowmiya Narayanasamy, Panthoi Chanu.

Defenders: Ashalata Devi, Sweety Devi, Ritu Rani, Dalima Chhibber, Astam Oraon, Sanju, Ranjana Chanu.

Midfielders: Sangita Basfore, Priyangka Devi, Indumathi Kathiresan, Anju Tamang, Soumya Guguloth, Dangmei Grace.

Forwards: Pyari Xaxa, Jyoti, Renu, Bala Devi, Manisha, Sandhiya Ranganathan.

Head Coach: Thomas Dennerby.