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6d ago

India's Striker Shortage Puts Marquez's Future in AIFF Hands

Poor qualifying results have left India without a competitive win under Marquez, prompting the federation to explore recruiting Overseas Citizens of India.

Kalyan Chaubey, AIFF address rising criticism of Indian football: Key points
Manalo Marquez AIFF
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Overview

  • The AIFF Executive Committee will decide Marquez's future on June 29 after he led India to just one win in eight matches with no victories in competitive fixtures.
  • India fell 0-1 to Hong Kong in the latest AFC Asian Cup qualifier, leaving the team 127th in the FIFA rankings and jeopardizing its qualification hopes.
  • President Kalyan Chaubey has acknowledged a chronic striker shortage and is urging stakeholders to increase match time for Indian forwards in domestic leagues.
  • The federation is in talks with 33 Overseas Citizens of India and working with government ministries to clear their eligibility for national team selection.
  • AIFF plans include bringing in a World Cup-winning striker to mentor U-23 attackers and bidding to host the 2031 AFC Asian Cup as part of its long-term development strategy.