There could be some bad news for fans in India who were looking forward to seeing FIFA World Cup 2026 hero in action. This is because may not be coming to play the friendly as believed earlier.
According to a Sports Now report, the AIFF was engaged in a discussion with the Cape Verdean Federation for a friendly. This was after a friendly vs Brazil was locked on for October 3 in Kolkata.
Why Cape Verde May Not Come
But now it appears that Cape Verde has made a U-turn. Sources say that the chances of Cape Verde coming to India are slim because both parties could not agree on the commercial side. Meanwhile, a friendly vs has been confirmed on September 26 but the venue has been decided.
© X/FIFA World Cup
“There is a five percent chance, and I don’t think they will be coming,” the source said.
“It is due to both parties not reaching an agreement on the commercial side,” it added.
© X/FIFA World Cup
All Set for Panama
“Playing against Panama will be a tough battle ahead of the Brazil game. Panama are a top-50 team in the world, and it will be a good test for Khalid Jamil’s boys. We are looking forward to our players getting the right exposure, and we normally don’t get to play such World Cup teams. So, it’s a good FIFA window for us, where we are playing such tough teams,” said AIFF Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan.
Not Everyone Is Happy.
Former player Bhaichung Bhutia has criticised the AIFF for withdrawing from the FIFA ASEAN Cup because it clashed with the Brazil match. He urged fans to boycott the match as the funds allocated for it could have been put to better use to improve the infrastructure of Indian clubs.