India’s national football coach Bob Houghton was upbeat on the eve of the team’s departure for a training tour of Dubai, despite nine players in the squad carrying injuries. “This is a harmonious group and we are going to try and keep them together,” said Houghton. “Our focus is the Asian Cup next year but the way forward is only with a long and stable plan.”
“We’ve picked 24 players for our tour of Dubai. Some prominent players like Renedy Singh, NS Manju and Mohan Raj are among the nine injured but I think almost all of them are good enough to train.
India are due to play the World Cup qualifying matches from October 8 to 12, with a possible second leg from November 17. The Asian Cup, for which India have qualified after 25 years, is scheduled to be held in Doha next January.
“These are the only two competitions that can provide the game the much-needed stimulus,” added Houghton, who was happy to have the national team at his disposal starting June this year till the AFC Cup.
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