Gurpreet Singh Sandhu: 'We have to gain something out of these friendlies'

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu said in Bengaluru on September 24, 2026 that India must gain something from a run of international friendlies, speaking on the eve of the India-Panama match.

When the schedule showing India would face Panama, Brazil and Uruguay in succession was announced, Gurpreet said he was taken aback. "It was unexpected, to be honest. Like everyone else, we wanted to see if this was actually happening," Gurpreet said on the eve of the India-Panama clash here. He added that now the fixtures are confirmed he and his team intend to make the most of the opportunity.

On the importance of the matches, Sandhu said: "We must make sure that we use this opportunity to gain something out of it. On paper, these games look really good because of the opponents we are facing. But every single game is special when you get to play for your country. It does not matter who we face. We want to win," Sandhu said.

Head coach Khalid Jamil addressed recent selection choices, defending the omission of senior players Sandesh Jhingan and Lallianzuala Chhangte. "Yes, I have left some seniors out, but it does not mean that they cannot make a comeback. We are thinking about building a new team. We have young players who need to play more matches," Jamil said.

The comments were made as India prepared to meet Panama in the forthcoming friendly, with the coaching staff emphasizing opportunities for younger players within the current squad.