India’s national football squad faces a challenging start to the SAFF Championship in Dhaka this Thursday, stepping onto the pitch for their Group B opener against Pakistan with a depleted roster of just 17 players. The team, currently chasing a record-extending 10th title in the regional tournament, arrived in Bangladesh on Tuesday facing immediate logistical hurdles, including a four-hour delay in checking into their hotel rooms.
The squad’s limited availability is largely due to the tournament schedule falling outside the FIFA international window, which runs from November 9 to 17. Consequently, many key players remain committed to their Indian Super League (ISL) clubs. While the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has confirmed the roster will expand to its full strength of 28 players once the international window opens, the current group is forced to handle the tournament’s early stages with a significantly reduced lineup, including only two goalkeepers.
Tactical Preparation Under Pressure
Head coach Naushad Moosa, who is overseeing the senior team for the first time, remains focused on the task despite the disruptions. Beyond the hotel delays, the team has had minimal time on the training pitch, managing only two sessions—one in Kolkata and one in Dhaka. Meanwhile, their opponents, Pakistan, have faced their own complications, with their arrival in Dhaka hampered by luggage issues at the Qatar airport, leaving them without a single training session in the host city.
“I was told by the coaching staff that we should expect more of such stuff, all being done to irritate the opponents,” Moosa said. “We are ready for all challenges that are thrown at us. Of course, it won’t be smooth, but during the training sessions I could see the hunger in the players.”
Moosa, who also serves as an assistant coach for NorthEast United FC, is utilizing a squad composed of reserve players and promising youngsters. He has emphasized that, despite the roster constraints, the team is committed to an aggressive, attacking style of play. “If you look at the SAFF squad, it comprises players who have represented India in the past. They are good players. For sure, you will see attacking football; we won’t sit back and wait to attack,” Moosa noted.
India Defends Title Against Pakistan with Strong Historical Record
India enters the tournament as the defending champion, having secured a 4-0 victory over Pakistan in the previous edition held in Bengaluru in 2023, a match highlighted by a hat-trick from Sunil Chhetri. Historically, India has maintained a strong record against their arch-rivals, winning seven, losing two and drawing once in the matches played between the two sides since the turn of the millennium. However, with the main senior team currently preparing for upcoming international friendlies against New Zealand in Auckland and Christchurch, this current iteration of the “Blue Tigers” is not entering the tournament as the heavy favorites.
Pakistan, now under the guidance of former Peruvian international Nolberto Solano, has shown recent signs of improvement. The team has strengthened its lineup with the addition of Danish-born defender Abdullah Iqbal, who plays for Mjallby AIF in Sweden. Following Thursday’s opener, India is scheduled to face the Maldives on November 11 in their second and final group stage match. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, which are slated for November 14, with the final match of the tournament occurring on November 17.
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