LokVox
ENहिंदी
Subscribe
Saturday, 17 October
Sensex74,729.27+0.56%
Nifty 5023,146.15+0.65%
₹ / $94.89−0.10
Repo rate5.50%+0.25 on 7 Oct
Markets: 16 Oct close
The people’s newsroom

SportsFootball

India's SAFF title defence in doubt as Dhaka dates clash with New Zealand trip

The AIFF had planned to send an under-23 side to Bangladesh while the senior team plays two centenary friendlies in New Zealand. With the tournament starting before the FIFA window, nothing has been settled.

From the editorial desk · New DelhiPublished

Key points

  1. The SAFF Championship runs in Dhaka from 5 to 17 November, with India due to open against Pakistan.
  2. India's seniors are booked for two friendlies in New Zealand on 12 and 15 November.
  3. The FIFA window opens only on 9 November, so clubs need not release players for the start of SAFF.

India’s defence of the SAFF Championship title is in doubt, with the All India Football Federation yet to decide how, or whether, it can field a side in Bangladesh while its senior team travels to New Zealand.

The tournament is scheduled for Dhaka from 5 to 17 November. India are due to open against Pakistan on 5 November and play their second and final group match against the Maldives on 11 November.

A crowded November

The senior team is booked for two friendlies in New Zealand on 12 and 15 November, marking 100 years of sporting relations between the two countries. It would be India’s first match against New Zealand on their home soil, against a side that played at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The federation’s plan had been to send an under-23 squad to the SAFF Championship and the senior side to New Zealand. That plan is still in place, but has not been confirmed.

“We are waiting and discussions are on. We have not finalised anything,” said a person involved in the discussions.

Why it is complicated

The SAFF Championship starts four days before the FIFA international window opens on 9 November, which means clubs are not obliged to release players for the opening game. “It is outside the FIFA window, so getting players will be difficult,” the same person said.

Indian Super League clubs are in the middle of their season, and several players likely to be picked are key to their sides. There is also a question over whether the organisers would accept an under-23 team, since SAFF Championship matches count towards the FIFA rankings. India have sent younger squads to past editions.

The federation has not said when it will decide.