Defending champions India have named a 28-member squad for the SAFF Championship 2026, to be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from November 5 to 17. Naushad Moosa, head coach of the India U23 men’s team, will lead the Blue Tigers, with Bibiano Fernandes, who recently coached the India U15 side at the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival Azerbaijan 2026, serving as assistant coach.
India are placed in Group B alongside Maldives and Pakistan. They begin their campaign against Pakistan on November 5 at 3:00 PM IST, before taking on Maldives on November 11 at the same time. Hosts Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan make up Group A. Eighteen players will travel to Dhaka from Kolkata on November 3, with the remaining 10 joining over the following days.
India, who won the previous edition in 2023 by beating Kuwait in the final in Bengaluru, will be aiming for a record-extending 10th SAFF Championship title. The top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals on November 14, with the final scheduled for November 17. All matches will be played at the National Stadium in Dhaka.
AIFF Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan thanked the clubs for releasing players.
India’s squad for SAFF Championship 2026:
- Goalkeepers: Arsh Anwer Shaikh, Mohanraj K, Priyansh Dubey
- Defenders: Abdul Rabeeh, Bijoy Varghese, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Khaiminthang Lhungdim, Muhammed Uvais, Nathan Rodrigues, Ronney Kharbudon, Sandip Mandi
- Midfielders: Abhishek Suryavanshi, Adison Singh Thokchom, Brison Fernandes, Ebindas Yesudasan, Farukh Choudhary, Macarton Nickson, Manglenthang Kipgen, Nikhil Prabhu, Noufal PN, Ricky John Shabong, Suresh Singh Wangjam
- Forwards: Irfan Yadwad, Liston Colaco, Muhammad Suhail, Vishnu PV, Suhail Ahmad Bhat
India’s coaching set-up for SAFF Championship 2026:
- Head coach: Naushad Moosa
- Assistant coach: Bibiano Fernandes
- Goalkeeping coach: Parshuram Salwadi
- Strength and conditioning coach: Saifulla
India’s schedule for SAFF Championship 2026:
- India vs Pakistan: 3:00 PM IST – November 3
- India vs Maldives: 3:00 PM IST – November 11
- Semifinals: November 14 – (2:30 PM and 8:00 PM IST)
- Final: 7:30 PM IST – November 17