Indian players in Dubai ahead of friendly ties

New Delhi, March 16 The 27-member squad of the Indian football team for their upcoming international friendlies against Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will have their first training session in Dubai next Monday.

India play Oman on March 25 and face the UAE on March 29. The squad landed in Dubai on Sunday and had a meeting with coach Igor Stimac late evening.

"This season the league was a bit different. Everyone was in the bubble and with so many protocols. Hence, we had to stay a bit away from each other. So it was a nice experience to talk with all and share our experiences. It was fun," said defender Adil Khan.

"It is always great to be back at the national camp. All the players met each other with great fondness. During the league we mostly waved at each other from a distance owing to the protocols. It's always great to be together under the same umbrella that is the national team," said midfielder Anirudh Thapa.

The weather in Dubai has been pleasant and with a predicted maximum temperature of around 29 degrees Celsius and a minimum of around 21 degrees.

The friendly matches are India's first in over a year. Their last international fixture was in November 2019 when they played in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

( With inputs from IANS )