The Indian football team got a nightmare welcome in Bangladesh for the as the players had no accommodation for hours upon landing in the country.
The team landed in Bangladesh’s capital at 2:15 PM and went to a private hotel on Gulshan Avenue; however, upon reaching, they were informed that the rooms had not been allocated, leaving the team in huge trouble. According to a report in Sportstar, the players were yet to get rooms till 5:00 PM. India are set to face Pakistan on November 5 in the opening game.
“There have been other arrangements that are being made. We hope this will be sorted soon,” a source told Sportstar.
Meanwhile, India have sent a second-string squad for the tournament they have won nine times. The first-choice players will tour New Zealand for two friendlies. Also, U-23 head coach Naushad Moosa was left further without key players as several clubs refused to release their players for the opening match that falls outside the FIFA window.
India will enter the 2026 SAFF Championship as the defending champions, having beaten Kuwait in a penalty shootout in the previous edition in Bengaluru. The Blue Tigers have been placed in Group B alongside Pakistan and the Maldives and will begin their title defence against Pakistan on November 5. The match will kick off at 3 PM IST at the National Stadium in Dhaka.
Group A features hosts Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan. The top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals, while the tournament’s final is scheduled for November 17.