# Dhaka Hosts SAFF Championship Opener as India Face Pakistan in Group Stage > Defending champions India begin their South Asian Football Federation Championship campaign against Pakistan, fielding a secondary squad with just 18 players available for the opener. **Type:** article · **Category:** Football · **Published:** 2026-11-04 · **Source:** TrendKia **Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/football/dhaka-men-dakshina-eshiyai-phutabola-mahasngha-kapa-ki-shuruata-pahale-hi-maicha-men-amane-samane-honge-india-aura-pakistan-56675 · **Language:** English **Tags:** Indian Football, SAFF Championship, India vs Pakistan, AIFF, ISL, Dhaka National Stadium, Naushad Moosa The South Asian Football Federation Championship is set to begin on Thursday with a marquee opening fixture as traditional rivals India and Pakistan take the field in Dhaka. Defending champions India are participating with a secondary squad rather than their primary senior lineup, which has committed to playing international friendlies against New Zealand in Auckland and Christchurch on November 12 and 15. With the first-string squad engaged overseas, the reserve setup faces the responsibility of representing the nation in this regional showpiece under somewhat strained circumstances. ## Roster Constraints and Club Release Dilemma For the opening encounter against Pakistan, team management will have access to only 18 players. This constraint stems from the scheduling of Thursday's match outside the official FIFA international match window, which runs from November 9 to November 17. Because the game precedes that timeframe, Indian Super League clubs declined to release their squad members midway through the ongoing domestic season, preventing the national selection from assembling in full strength ahead of kick-off. ## Staggered Travel Plans and Tournament Structure The All India Football Federation outlined a phased transit strategy for the 28-member delegation. Under this plan, 18 players travelled from Kolkata to Dhaka on November 3, while the remaining 10 footballers are scheduled to join the camp over the coming days. Once the FIFA window becomes active on November 9, the ISL outfits will release the remaining players, allowing India to operate with the complete 28-player contingent for the subsequent fixtures. The six-team tournament is taking place at the National Stadium in Dhaka, with the competitors divided across two preliminary pools. Group B contains India, whose second group fixture will be contested against Maldives on November 11. Group A comprises hosts Bangladesh alongside Sri Lanka and Bhutan. According to the tournament format, the top two finishers from each group will advance to the semi-finals on November 14, culminating in the final on November 17. ## Technical Leadership and Coach Expectations Under-23 national team head coach Naushad Moosa is serving as the primary coach for this campaign. Assisting him in the technical area is Bibiano Fernandes, who recently served as head coach for the Indian Under-15 boys squad during the FIFA Under-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan. Following the squad's arrival in Dhaka, the head coach outlined his assessment of the challenge ahead. Moosa remarked that he considers Bangladesh to be the strongest team in the tournament currently and hopes to face them in the final. ## Historical Head-to-Head and Tournament Record India hold an exceptional historical record in the competition, having won the regional crown nine times across the 14 editions contested since its inauguration in 1993. In addition to those nine titles, the Indian side finished as runners-up on four occasions and secured third place once. Pakistan's most notable accomplishment in the championship dates back to 1997, when they achieved a third-place finish. The previous encounter between the two neighbouring sides took place during the 2023 edition in Bengaluru, where India registered an emphatic 4-0 triumph over Pakistan. In that contest, Sunil Chhetri produced a hat-trick to power the side forward before India, coached by Igor Stimac, went on to secure the championship trophy. ## What this means for you This tournament serves as a testing ground for India's domestic bench strength and emerging talent under high-pressure competitive conditions. - **For Indian Football Fans:** Supporters will get an opportunity to evaluate India's reserve and youth pool on the international stage while the main squad competes in New Zealand. It offers a transparent view of the nation's depth and tactical continuity. - **For ISL Clubs:** Domestic clubs have managed to retain their key assets until the official FIFA window opens on November 9. This ensures that their league commitments and tactical preparations avoid sudden disruptions during early November fixtures. - **For Reserve Players:** The 18 athletes selected for the opening match against Pakistan receive an immediate stage to demonstrate their abilities in a marquee rivalry. Strong individual displays can accelerate call-ups to the primary senior setup. - **For Match Followers:** Viewers will experience an overlapping schedule between November 9 and November 17 with matches across two fronts. Fans can track the senior team's friendlies in Oceania alongside the title defense underway in Dhaka. ## Why this happened India fielded an alternate squad with limited player availability due to scheduling conflicts between prearranged senior international friendlies and domestic league commitments. - **Conflicting International Friendlies:** The primary Indian national team was previously scheduled to play two friendlies against New Zealand in Auckland and Christchurch on November 12 and 15. This scheduling overlap necessitated forming a separate reserve squad for the Dhaka tournament. - **Scheduling Outside the FIFA Window:** The opening match against Pakistan was set ahead of the official November 9 to 17 international window. Because the fixture falls outside these dates, clubs held no regulatory obligation to release contracted personnel. - **Club Release Hesitation:** Indian Super League clubs chose to safeguard their domestic campaign and declined to release players prematurely. This decision forced the coaching staff to operate with only 18 players for the tournament opener. ## Questions & Answers ### 1. Why is India not fielding its primary senior squad in the SAFF Championship? The primary senior squad is travelling to play international friendlies against New Zealand in Auckland and Christchurch on November 12 and 15. ### 2. How many players are available for India's opening match against Pakistan? India have only 18 players available for selection in their opening group game against Pakistan. ### 3. When will the remaining 10 Indian squad members join the camp? The remaining 10 players will link up with the squad after ISL clubs release them once the FIFA window opens on November 9. ### 4. Who is leading the Indian technical staff in this tournament? Under-23 national team head coach Naushad Moosa is in charge, with Bibiano Fernandes serving as the assistant coach. ### 5. When is India's next group fixture after the match against Pakistan? India will contest their second Group B match against Maldives on November 11 at the National Stadium in Dhaka. ### 6. What is India's historical record in the SAFF Championship? India have won the championship 9 times across 14 editions since 1993, finishing as runners-up 4 times and third once. ### 7. What happened in the last meeting between India and Pakistan? India defeated Pakistan 4-0 during the 2023 edition in Bengaluru, powered by a hat-trick from Sunil Chhetri. --- _TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.. Machine-readable view; canonical HTML at the URL above._