SAFF Championships 2023: India face arch-rivals Pakistan after five years
The Indian football team will look to continue their purple patch from the Intercontinental Cup to the 2023 SAFF Championships. The Blue Tigers will face arch-rivals Pakistan in the opening fixture at the Shree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on June 21. India have won the SAFF Championship eight times. They are also the defending champions and will look to defend their crown. Here's more.
Match venue, timings and streaming details
India will host Pakistan for the first time at the Shree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on June 21 from 7:30pm IST. Kuwait will also face off Nepal earlier from 3:30pm IST to kickstart the tournament. The stadium can hold a capacity of around 25,000 spectators. The live telecast of the SAFF Championships is yet to be announced but fans can live-stream on FanCode.
Meet the teams
The 2023 SAFF Championships is different from its predecessors as two teams such as Kuwait and Lebanon have been invited along with the usual sides. The eight teams are divided into two groups, Group A consists of India, Pakistan, Kuwait and Nepal. Group B has the likes of Lebanon, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Maldives. Sri Lanka miss out due to their FIFA ban.
A look at India's schedule
Here is India's schedule for the 2023 SAFF Championship: June 21, Wednesday: India vs Pakistan from 7:30pm IST. June 24, Saturday: India vs Nepal from 7:30pm IST. June 27, Tuesday: India vs Kuwait from 7:30pm IST. Semi-finals: July 1, Saturday (3:30pm and 7:30pm IST). Final: July 2, Sunday from 7:30pm IST.
A look at India-Pakistan's head-to-head record
This will be the first India-Pakistan football clash since 2018. Overall, the two rivals have met each other a total of 26 times, with India having a massive upper hand in this regard. India have registered 13 wins, while 10 games have ended in a draw. Meanwhile, Pakistan have emerged victorious only three times. Their last meeting ended in a 2-1 win for India.
Seven successive clean sheets for India
India have been extremely solid in defense in recent times. The defensive organization set up by Igor Stimac has worked wonders. Also, defenders like Sandesh Jhingan and Anwar Ali have stepped up to the occasions, which saw them go without conceding a single goal in the Intercontinental Cup. Overall, India are unbeaten in 16 official matches. Their last defeat came against Qatar last year.
Pakistan aim to take flight after FIFA lifted their ban
Pakistan were banned by FIFA on two occasions, once in 2017 due to third-party interference in the Pakistan Football Federation. The ban was lifted a year later. In 2021, FIFA banned them for a second time. However, the ban was lifted last year. In recent times, Pakistan have played Maldives, Mauritius, Kenya, and Djibouti, having lost all of the matches.
Here are the probable starting XIs
India's Probable XI: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK), Nikhil Poojary, Anwar Ali, Sandesh Jhingan, Akash Mishra, Jeakson Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Sunil Chhetri, and Naorem Mahesh Singh. Pakistan's Probable XI: Yousuf Butt (GK), Mamoon Moosa Khan, Muhammad Sufyan Asif, Abdullah Iqbal, Ali Khan Niazi, Otis Khan, Ali UzairMahmood, Easah Suliman, Rahis Nabi, Harun Hamid, and Hassan Bashir.
A look at the key performers
Chhangte is in tremendous form as he scored in the Intercontinental Cup final against Lebanon. He also had a stellar ISL season with Mumbai City. Chhetri is the second-highest goalscorer in the SAFF Championships (18 goals). Otis will be Pakistan's star player, having scored six times this season for Grimsby Town. Midfielder Suliman has represented England U20 and will be key in the middle.
