LALITPUR: National team football coach Patrick Aussems on Sunday called in 39 players for the upcoming SAFF Championship.

The players were called as per their performance in the National League, won by Ruslan Three Star Club on Saturday. The players will go to festive holidays on Tuesday and return on October 28.

Aussems has called in four goalkeepers Kiran Chemjong, Bikesh Kuthu, Bishal Shrestha and Amrit Chaudhary, 12 defenders Ranjit Dhimal, Rabin Shrestha, Amit Tamang, Devendra Tamang, Jitendra Karki, Ramesh Dangal, Ananta Tamang, Aditya Chaudhary, Youdha Shahi, Biraj Maharjan, Ajit Bhandari and Dinesh Raj Bansi.

14 midfielders Jagjeet Shrestha, Sujal Shrestha, Biswas Shrestha, Rohit Chand, Heman Gurung, Rajendra Rawal, Shiva Shrestha, Bikram Lama, Bishal Rai, Yogesh Gurung, Deepak Rai, Bijay Gurung, Tanka Basnet and Tek Bahadur Budhathoki.

Forwards Binod Karki, Anjan Bista, Nawayug Shrestha, Ranjan Bista, Anil Gurung, Bimal Gharti Magar, Karna Limbu and Bharat Khawas.

Skipper Sagar Thapa, his deputy Sandip Rai and goalkeeper Ritesh Thapa who have been suspended from all football activities until final verdict are in police custody along with former defenders Anjan KC and Bikash Singh Chhetri on match-fixing charges.

The SAFF Championship is slated for December 23 to January 3 in India.