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India are raring to face Vietnam and Singapore in the upcoming Hung Thinh Friendly Football Tournament. With the 2023 edition of the AFC Asian Cup inching closer, these matches will act as a pivotal part of the preparation.
The Blue Tigers named their 23-man squad on Wednesday, September 21, for the friendlies against Singapore and Vietnam on September 24 and 27, respectively. Head coach Igor Stimac opted for a relatively young squad and followed it up with some brave omissions.
Manvir Singh, Subhashish Bose, and Pritam Kotal were shown the doors for their poor string of performances. Meanwhile, youngster Rahul KP received his maiden call-up for the senior team following his impressive performances at the SAFF U-23 Championship.
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However, there are a few names who could turn out to be major misses for the Indian national team going into the upcoming games.
#3 Asish Rai (Right-back)
Hyderabad FC cruised to their maiden Indian Super League (ISL) title in the 2021-22 season, with Asish Rai being a crucial part of their success. The 23-year-old created four big chances last season, including providing three assists. In terms of defensive numbers, he registered 76 tackles, 27 interceptions, 37clearances, and 38 blocks.
However, the full-back jumped ship to join ATK Mohun Bagan earlier in the summer. In his brief spell at the club so far, Rai failed to impress at the Durand Cup.
It takes time to fit into the elaborate system put in place by Juan Ferrando and Asish has shown signs of struggling. However,But he will be hoping to return to the national side soon.
#2 Jerry Mawihmingthanga (Winger)
Jerry Mawia was one of the standout players for Odisha FC in an otherwise sub-par season. The industrious winger contributed with three goals and two assists in 19 games last season. But it was his creativity and silky smooth dribbling that caught the eye balls. Even in the recently concluded Durand Cup, Jerry bagged a couple of goals.
The 25-year-old has been inching closer towards securing a spot in the Indian national team and could soon make the cut.
#1 Hormipam Ruivah (Centre-back)
The curious case of Hormipam Ruivah is one that has intrigued many. He broke into the Kerala Blasters' starting line-up midway through the 2021-22 season. The 21-year-old didn't take long to cement his spot, showcasing composure and maturity.
In 14 appearances last season, he registered 57 tackles, 67 clearances, and 31 interceptions. However, the youngster has not quite fitted the plans of Stimac in the national team, even failing to make the 23-man squad for the upcoming friendlies.
With the 2022-23 ISL season on the horizon, Ruivah has a massive opportunity to cement his place in the Indian team.
