Rana Chakraborty, The Bengal News, Kolkata, West Bengal: India are scheduled to face Bangladesh at the National Stadium in Dhaka on November 18, in their AFC Asian Cup 2027 Final Round Qualifier. The Blue Tigers will begin their preparatory camp in Bengaluru from Thursday, November 6, before travelling to Dhaka on November 15. In a surprising development, Indian men’s national team head coach Khalid Jamil on Wednesday, announced a 23-member list of probables for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers fixture against Bangladesh, with some striking omissions. The most notable among them – no players from Mohun Bagan Super Giant and no Sunil Chhetri in the squad.
File Photo/ taken by Sudip Chanda
Mohun Bagan’s concern is that if a player gets injured outside this official window—which the early camp falls under—the responsibility for the player’s salary and recovery costs does not lie with FIFA. The club alleges that the AIFF has refused to formally commit to compensating these salaries, leaving the club to bear the entire “additional financial risk.” “AIFF has refused to compensate salaries if a player gets injured outside the international window. As a club, we cannot take that additional financial risk,” a club source reportedly explained.
In an official statement, Mohun Bagan Super Giant acknowledged their unwavering support for the national team but reiterated their responsibility to protect their players’ contractual and financial security. The club was quick to clarify that it had not restricted any player from joining the national camp from November 10 onwards (the start of the FIFA window), stating that the decision to omit their players was ultimately made by the AIFF.The club informed both the federation and the players that anyone opting to join the camp before the official window would need to provide written confirmation accepting that any injury and related costs would fall on them.
The fallout of this dispute is a significant loss of talent for the national team, which will face Bangladesh in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Final Round Qualifier on November 18. Several key players who regularly feature for the national side—including members of Mohun Bagan’s Indian contingent—have been effectively ruled out due to this impasse. The situation underscores a recurring and challenging conflict in Indian football: the delicate balance between club priorities, player welfare, and national team requirements, particularly when fixtures and preparatory camps fall outside established international protocols. Until the AIFF and the clubs can reach a clear, compensated agreement on player release outside the FIFA window, the national team risks being deprived of its best players.
