Manolo Marquez will begin his venture as the head coach of the Indian men’s national football team when it takes part in the three-nation Intercontinental Cup from September 3 to 9 in Hyderabad.
India, currently ranked 124th, will face Syria, placed 93rd in the latest FIFA rankings and Mauritius, who stand at 179 in the competition.
Two weeks ago, Marquez announced a list of 26 probables for India’s preparatory camp beginning on August 31.
Announcing the players, Marquez, India’s new head coach said, “We are very excited about our first preparatory camp and I know it will be the same for the players.”
“We face two different teams and the rankings are not very important. We need to work all together in the same direction to find the correct group of players and their predisposition will be very good, something I am completely sure about,” he said.
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After no longer being able to use the services of veteran former captain and India’s record goalscorer Sunil Chhetri, Marquez has focused on choosing “the correct group of players,” and has some surprise additions in the squad.
Take a look at uncapped players who are part of India’s preparatory camp for the Intercontinental Cup:
Kiyan Nassiri
Forward Kiyan Nassiri is one of the leading names to spearhead the next generation of Indian football. The 23-year-old has signed a three-year contract with Indian Super League side Chennaiyin FC for the upcoming season, moving from Mohun Bagan Super Giant
After making his top-tier debut in 2021 under Antonio López Habas, Kiyan has represented the Kolkata-based club 69 times in various competitions, scoring nine goals and assisting two. During this period he won multiple titles including the ISL League Winners Shield, ISL Championship as well as the Durand Cup.
In 2022, he scored a hat trick against arch rival East Bengal FC and became the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the ISL.
Lalthathanga Khawlhring (Puitea)
Lalthathanga Khawlhring, popularly known as Puitea, made his professional debut in 2017 for the I-League club DSK Shivajians. Later that year he joined ISL side NorthEast United FC but was loaned out to Aizwal FC for the first year of his three-year deal with the club.
After his return to NEUFC, he was signed by Kerala Blasters FC for the 2020-21 season. He formed a partnership with Jeakson Singh midfield and played a vital role in the Blasters’ run to the final in the 2021-22 season.
He was then signed by ATK Mohun Bagan FC (now MBSG), where he won the ISL Championship after beating Bengaluru FC in the final.
Following his successful stints at top clubs, Puitea was snatched by Odisha FC on a three-year deal, before the start of the 2023-24 season, for an undisclosed club-record transfer fee. Since then he has made 35 appearances across various competitions for Odisha FC, scoring three goals and assisting one during that time.
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