A second-string Indian team, with just 18 players available, will face arch-rivals Pakistan in their opening match of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championships in Dhaka on Thursday. India are the defending champions, but the main team is not taking part in the tournament in view of the away international friendly matches against New Zealand on November 12 and 15 in Auckland and Christchurch, respectively. There is also the issue of the reluctance of the Indian Super League (ISL) clubs to release players in the midst of the ongoing season, as Thursday’s match against Pakistan falls on a date outside the FIFA international window (November 9-17).
A second-string Indian team, with just 18 players available, will face arch-rivals Pakistan in their opening match of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championships in Dhaka on Thursday.
Pakistan have come into the tournament after losing twice and drawing once in their ASEAN Cup Group B matches. the All India Football Federation (AIFF) had said that 18 players would travel to Dhaka on November 3 from Kolkata, while the remaining 10 would join the group over the subsequent days While announcing the squad for the tournament. The Blue Tigers next play against Maldives on November 11 in their second Group B match of the six-team tournament, which will be played at the National Stadium in Dhaka. The Indian team is under the charge of U-23 national team head coach Naushad Moosa. Bibiano Fernandes, who recently coached the India U-15 men’s team at the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan, is the assistant coach. They lost to Thailand (0-4) and Vietnam (2-4), and drew with the Philippines (2-2).
“I think Bangladesh are currently the strongest team in the tournament, and we hope to face them in the final,” Naushad was quoted as saying by local media after the team’s arrival in Dhaka. “I am optimistic about my team’s chances of becoming champions,” he said.
