India, Pakistan to clash at SAFF Championship

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Local Organising Committee (LOC) have received confirmation from the Pakistan Football Federation that India and Pakistan will play in a highly anticipated match at the SAFF Championship here on June 21 in Bengaluru. “The team is expected to travel from Mauritius and will land in India on June 18. From Mumbai, the team will take a connecting flight to Bengaluru and is expected to reach here on Sunday night,” SAFF project director and KSFA general secretary M Satyanarayan told the media.
With Pakistan’s late confirmation, the stage is set for full-fledged action as AIFF hadn’t planned on a replacement. “Football fans are eagerly looking forward to the action at the Kanteerava and tickets sales, which began a few days back, are on,” the official said, adding: “Nepal and Bangladesh are arriving on soon.” After much difficulty, Pakistan's participation in the South Asian tournament was finally allowed after the squad received approval from the foreign and interior ministries of Pakistan, who had already approved their journey for the four-nation cup in Mauritius. The Indian government had previously been cited in the media as having approved inviting Pakistan. Pakistan, who is in Group A, will play Kuwait on June 24 and Nepal on June 27 following their match against India on June 21. In order to assure proper security, the tournament organisers announced they would meet with Bengaluru police.