Indian football is in deep trouble, just days before the four-nation Unity Cup in England. Mohun Bagan Super Giant have shockingly asked seven of their key players to leave the national team’s training camp in Bengaluru on Saturday. The sudden move has left national team head coach Khalid Jamil with a severely depleted rickety squad of just 18 players jeopardising India’s competitive prospects in the upcoming international tournament.
The row is over the fact that the Unity Cup is being staged outside the official FIFA international match window, which is June 1-9. India take on Jamaica on May 27 and Nigeria face Zimbabwe on May 26, with the finals and third-place playoffs set for May 30.
A senior Mohun Bagan official explained the club’s firm stance to TOI:
“The players were at home at the end of the season and tickets were sent directly to them by AIFF. The tournament is played outside the FIFA international window and clubs are not duty-bound to release players. If any player gets injured, there will be no compensation. AIFF hasn’t helped us in any manner, and it will be a risk to release players at this stage.”
The relationship between the Kolkata giants and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has been at loggerheads for a while, particularly nosediving last week after Mohun Bagan failed the ICLS Premier 1 Club Licensing for the 2026-27 season on what they believe are “flimsy grounds.” Regarding the player safety and insurance issues of this unofficial window, a source within the club told The Indian Express:
“This time, we told the players to go at their own risk. Because if you play wearing the Mohun Bagan jersey, our insurance company will pay for any expenses. When playing for India in the FIFA window, FIFA will pay. These are the rules.”
After the sudden departure, Jamil is left with a nightmarish choice. The seven Bagan stars withdrawn include marquee midfielders Lalengmawia Ralte, Sahal Abdul Samad and Anirudh Thapa. Adding to Jamil’s woes, East Bengal has also asked defender Anwar Ali not to travel after picking up an injury in the last ISL game against Inter Kashi. Ashique Kuruniyan is already out and India’s midfield is down to the bones with only Jeakson Singh, PN Noufal and Ricky Shabong available. Along with other, experienced campaigners like goalkeeper Vishal Kaith, defender Abhishek Singh Tekcham and explosive forwards Manvir Singh and Liston Colaco will be sorely missed.
With Bagan making a late decision, AIFF has little choice as they cannot include any player outside the 30 who were initially shortlisted for visas. Late on Saturday Subrata Paul, the AIFF’s director of national teams, said in a statement: “I am very disappointed.
“It is truly heartbreaking that the situation has reached this point. I feel deeply sorry for the players who are unable to travel with the team, as opportunities like this are truly once in a lifetime. Playing international matches in England, the home of football, is something every player dreams of. As a former international player myself, I can say with conviction that, regardless of the result, a player always comes away richer from playing international opponents of such levels.”
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
