New Delhi, Aug 27 (PTI) More than half of the footballers called for the national camp in Bhubaneswar ahead of the AFC U-23 Championships qualifiers did not turn up and head coach Clifford Miranda on Sunday appealed to the clubs to release their players.
Only 12 of the 28 players have joined the camp, which started on Friday, as the remaining ones are not being released “due to club commitments”. An anxious Miranda appealed to the clubs to see the “bigger picture” and release the players.
The tournament begins from September 6 in Dalian, China, and the Indian team is to fly out on September 4. India are drawn with the UAE, Maldives and China in Group G. Their first match is against the Maldives on September 6, followed by games against hosts China on September 9 and the UAE on September 12.
“I have just 12 players with me here for training. The remaining players have not been released by their clubs. I am on tenterhooks,” Miranda, a former India player, told
Source: PTI News
