March 7, 2025: Among the 26-member squad announced by India senior men’s national team head coach Manolo Márquez for the March FIFA International Window on Thursday, six talented players from Manipur have made the cut.
The players from Manipur among ‘the Blue Tigers’ are Roshan Naorem, Chinglensana Konsam, and Boris Thangjam in the line of defense, and Suresh Wangjam, Mahesh Naorem, and Jeakson Thounaojam as midfielders.
Manolo Márquez also included Sunil Chhetri, the fourth-highest international goal scorer of all time with 94 strikes to his credit. Chhetri had announced his retirement from the national team in June last year but is now set to make a return in India’s blue later this month.
The Blue Tigers will play a friendly match against the Maldives on March 19 in preparation for the opening match of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers Final Round against Bangladesh on March 25. Both matches will be played in Shillong.
