India Faces Pakistan in SAFF Championship With Depleted Squad

Sportstar · sports

The Indian men's football team begins its SAFF Championship 2026 campaign against Pakistan on Thursday in Dhaka, fielding a depleted squad under under-23 coach Naushad Moosa. Despite India's higher FIFA ranking, the team must be wary of upsets, as demonstrated by Bangladesh's victory last November. Moosa, a former player who won the SAFF Championship in 1997, faces the challenge of integrating a squad with limited preparation time.