Ancheri, Maria, Gawli, Alvito omitted from Asian Cup qualifier squad

New Delhi, Nov 10 (UNI) Several top players including Sanjiv Maria, Mahesh Gawli, Alvito D'Cunha, Rennedy Singh and S Venkatesh, have been omitted from the Indian squad which plays its last AFC Asian Cup qualifying round match against Yemen at Sanaa on November 15.

Coach Bob Houghton's preference for younger players for the away match saw some of Under-23 players, including Gouramangi Singh, Subhas Chakraborty and Th Bungo, finding place in the 21-member squad announced by the AIFF today.

Under-20 player Sushil Kumar Singh has also been included in the squad while his team mate in the ongoing AFC Under-20 tournamnet Branco Cardoso missed the bus.

Young Goa forward Freddy Mascarenhas, who was included in the last match against Japan in Bangalore last month, also got the boot.

Chandam Chitrasen will join the team at Dubai on November 16 for friendly matches and training while Deepak Mondal, who was injured in the match against Japan in Bagalore, will join the team at Doha for the Asian Games.

The team will leave for Sanaa from Goa on Sunday.

India had lost all their five earlier matches in the qualification round and Houghton wanted to field the squad to play in the Asian Games (Under 23 team plus three seniors) against Yemen.

AIFF sources said India will play a few friendly matches at Dubai after the Yemen match as war-mup to the Asian Games and those selected for the Doha Asiad will directly go there from Dubai.

The list of final 20-member squad for the Asiad will be announced November 26.

Goalkeepers: Sandip Nandy, Subrata Pal, Subhasis Roy Chaudhary Defenders: Surkumar Singh, NS Manju, Anupam Sarkar, Narinder Singh, Habibur Rehman Mondal, Debabrata Roy Midfielders: Steven Dias, Mehrajuddin Waddoo, Th Bungo Singh, Subhash Chakraborty, NP Pradeep, Gourmangi Singh Forwards: Syed Rahim Nabi, Manjit Singh, Sunil Chhetri, Tarif Ahmed Saikh, Bhaichung Bhutia, Sushil Kumar Singh Officials: Robert Douglas Houghten: Chief Coach Syed Nasir Ali: Manager Henry Stanley Rozario: Assistant Coach Antonio Marcos Pacheco: GK Coach Manabendra Bhattacharya: Team Doctor Pradeep Dutta: Physical Trainer Tapan Bhattacharya: Physiotherapist UNI PDS AY PM1756