India and Pakistan to resume soccer rivalry after 5 years, clubbed in similar group in subsequent month’s SAFF Cup
Photograph: Kind Courtesy AIFF/Twitter
India and Pakistan are set to resume their soccer rivalry after almost 5 years as the 2 neighbouring international locations have been clubbed in the identical group in the SAFF Cup to be held in Bengaluru from June 21 to July 4.
The draw of the 14th version of the South Asian Football Federation Cup was held right here on Wednesday with defending champions India, Pakistan, Kuwait and Nepal being clubbed in Group A. Lebanon, Maldives, Bangladesh and Bhutan are in Group B.
The group matches shall be performed in a round-robin league format and the highest two groups in every group will qualify for the semifinals of the eight-nation regional match on the Kanteerava Stadium.
Lebanon and Kuwait — the 2 international locations outdoors of South Asia — had been invited to make the match extra aggressive. Lebanon are the very best ranked aspect in the match at 99th whereas Pakistan are the bottom at 195th. India are the second highest ranked aspect at a hundred and first.
The Indo-Pak Group A match shall be performed on June 21 in the second match of the opening day after Kuwait face Nepal in the inaugural recreation.
India and Pakistan final performed in opposition to one another in September 2018 in the semifinal of the twelfth version of the SAFF Cup in Dhaka. India received that match 3-1 however misplaced to Maldives 1-2 in the ultimate.
Overall, India and Pakistan have formally performed greater than 20 worldwide matches. Of the 2, India have been the dominant aspect with greater than a dozen wins below their belt.
India have received the SAFF Cup eight instances whereas ending runners-up 4 instances. The solely time India didn’t attain the ultimate was in the fifth version in 2003 in Dhaka when the nation completed third.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is hopeful that Pakistan gamers and help employees will get visas to participate in the match.
“Pakistan has confirmed its participation in the match, that’s the reason they’re right here in the draw. All the international locations of the South Asian area have the precise to play in this match,” AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey mentioned after the draw.
“But issues like grant of visas, offering safety to the groups, these should not the job of any soccer federation of any nation. The AIFF administration will coordinate with the involved ministries of the federal government and we are going to get the reply with the passage of time.”
AIFF secretary common Shaji Prabhakaran informed PTI that the Pakistani contingent has already utilized for visas to journey to India and the processing of purposes has begun.
“We do not see any situation there. They (Pakistan contingent) have already utilized for the visas and processing has begun,” mentioned Prabhakaran, who was additionally current on the draw ceremony.
Pakistan didn’t characteristic in two tournaments out of the 13 editions held to date since 1993.
The Pakistan Football Federation couldn’t ship its workforce in the 2015 version held in India on account of inner points. The nation missed the 2021 version in Maldives because it was serving suspension from FIFA. The suspension was lifted in June final 12 months.
Asked if the AIFF has obtained any assurance from the federal government for the secure conduct of the match, Chaubey mentioned, “The slogan of FIFA (world governing physique) is FIFA unites the world via soccer. AIFF is a member affiliation of FIFA.
“We do not have a look at the caste, creed and faith below the FIFA Charter. When a participant will get all the way down to the bottom carrying his or her nationwide jersey, you do not have a look at the caste and faith of that participant, the participant represents his or her nation.
“Moreover, we won’t host a global match with out permission from the federal government.”
SAFF common secretary Anwar-ul Huq mentioned that the collaborating international locations have assured the organisers that they are going to ship their first nationwide groups.
“We can guarantee you that Lebanon, Kuwait and all different collaborating groups will ship their full nationwide groups,” he mentioned.
“We may have introduced different international locations as instructed by the AIFF, however their nationwide groups had been engaged, and we didn’t need any age-group groups for this match.”
India head coach Igor Stimac reiterated that the competitiveness of the match shall be larger with the addition of the 2 groups from the Middle East.
“We have to behave and act as favourites to win the match. We welcome Kuwait and Lebanon as friends. Playing in opposition to them ought to assist us in our preparations for the AFC Asian Cup,” mentioned Stimac.
“A protracted length camp was all the time one thing we had been insisting on and we’re going to use it to enhance sure components of our recreation, work extra on the psychological energy and passing confidence,” he mentioned.
SAFF Cup fixtures:
June 21: Kuwait vs Nepal, 3.30 pm IST; India vs Pakistan, 7.30 pm IST
June 22: Lebanon vs Bangladesh, 3.30 pm IST; Maldives vs Bhutan, 7.30 pm IST
June 24: Pakistan vs Kuwait, 3.30 pm IST; Nepal vs India, 7.30 pm IST
June 25: Bangladesh vs Maldives, 3.30 pm IST; Bhutan vs Lebanon, 7.30 pm IST
June 27: Nepal vs Pakistan, 3.30 pm IST; India vs Kuwait, 7.30 pm IST
June 28: Lebanon vs Maldives, 3.30 pm IST; Bhutan vs Bangladesh, 7.30 pm IST.
July 1: Semi finals
July 4: Final.
