Players of Mohun Bagan Super Giant have been put in a ‘no man’s land’ due to a fresh deadlock between the club and All India Football Federation (AIFF) ahead of the Unity Cup, scheduled in London next week.
At the Unity Cup, which falls outside the FIFA window, India will play Jamaica on May 26, followed by another match against Nigeria or Zimbabwe four days later.
Bagan has eight players in the preliminary squad for the tournament, and it is understood that the visa formalities for at least seven of them were completed.
However, hours before their flight to the United Kingdom on Saturday, Bagan refused to accept injury responsibilities for players in the upcoming tour.
“We are complying with the rules, which say we are not mandated to release players for matches outside the official window. And if we release them, the Federation must take responsibility, or the players have to take it up themselves,” a club source told Sportstar.
“The club suffered with the injury cases of Ashique Kuruniyan, Subhasish Bose and others previously. It will thus need answers before it decides on these players (leaving for Unity Cup).”
Which players from Bagan were included in India’s preliminary squad?
Vishal Kaith, Abhishek Singh Tekcham, Lalengmawia Ralte, Sahal Abdul Samad, Anirudh Thapa, Manvir Singh, Liston Colaco, and Suhail Ahmad Bhat will be part of the Indian team for the Unity Cup.
Can Bagan choose not to release the players?
According to FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (Annexe 1.1), a player must be released for national duty only a week before the official window.
The official window begins on June 1, two days after the Unity Cup has ended. As a result, clubs can exercise the option not to let their players go.
Sportstar reached out to some of the players, but none were available for a comment on the issue.
“Talks are still underway. It looks unlikely, but we still have hope,” a source from the AIFF said. “The biggest challenge will be a replacement this late, with visa approval, because the coach was ideally looking at at least 23 members in the squad.”
India coach Khalid Jamil was also dealt with an issue around the availability of defender Anwar Ali, who is unlikely to travel for the tournament. The centre-back recently won the Indian Super League title with East Bengal, but is struggling for match fitness after a long season.
Published on May 23, 2026