Football

Indian football team set to leave for Qatar for preparations ahead of the World Cup Qualifiers

 

Qatar comes to the Indian football team’s aid as they have accepted the request of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to allow the Blue Tigers to train there ahead of the remaining FIFA  2022 World Cup qualification matches.

The gulf country has also waived off the mandatory hard 10-day quarantine for the Indian players. The Blue Tigers will conduct a preparatory camp for nearly two weeks inside a bio bubble ahead of their first match on June 3rd.

“We are planning to fly the team on May 19 evening. There will be no quarantine (of the players) and they will be in a bio-bubble,” AIFF general secretary Kushal Das told PTI on Saturday.

Kusal Das also clarified that the selected players will assemble in New Delhi and will have their COVID-19 tests, before boarding their flight to Qatar.

Igor Stimac’s men do not have any chance of going through to the next round in the World Cup qualifiers as they are winless from the first half of the matches. They have had a superb draw against Qatar followed by two underwhelming draws against Afghanistan and Bangladesh. However, the worst results were when they lost twice against Oman.

While they are out of the race to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, there is also a AFC Asian Cup berth up for grabs which the Blue Tigers are targeting at the moment. The remaining three matches — against Qatar (June 3), Bangladesh (June 7) and Afghanistan (June 15) — are crucial for Asian Cup qualification.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in March decided that selecting Qatar as the centralised venue will be the safest option and so they went ahead with the idea. Mainly due to the issues related to COVID-19, quarantine and travel. Therefore all the remaining matches from Group E will be conducted in Qatar.

Earlier the Indian FA planned a national camp in Kolkata May 2 to 21. Following the camp, the team was set to travel to United Arab Emirates (Dubai) and train there and play friendlies with local clubs. However, all those plans did not materialize as the second wave of COVID-19 wreaked havoc in the country resulting in the biggest spike.

 

 

 

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

What’s Next for Alex Pereira After Losing the Belt at UFC 313?

On March 8, 2025, at UFC 313, the light heavyweight landscape shifted as Alex Pereira… Read More

June 3, 2025

Breaking Down the Zig-Zag Theory in the NBA Playoffs

The Zig-Zag Theory has long been a go-to strategy among NBA playoff bettors, built on… Read More

June 3, 2025

IPL 2025 Final: RCB’s stronger bowling gives them edge over Punjab in high-stakes clash

We are finally at the final stop in this Indian Premier League season and what… Read More

June 3, 2025

India Eyes Redemption at Indonesia Open as Satwik-Chirag and Sindhu Lead the Charge

Former champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty headline India’s contingent at the prestigious Indonesia Open… Read More

June 3, 2025

Rajeev Shukla Poised to Take Over as Interim BCCI President with Binny Set to Step Down

With current Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Roger Binny nearing the… Read More

June 3, 2025

Jiteshwor Singh Commits Future to Chennaiyin FC with Three-Year Contract Extension

Chennaiyin FC midfielder Jiteshwor Singh has pledged his long-term future to the club, signing a… Read More

June 3, 2025