CNN Central News & Networks / ITDC India ePress / ITDC News /Agencies/ Bhopal: CNN Central News & Networks / ITDC India ePress / ITDC News / Agencies, Bhopal: The Indian football team, which reached Dhaka to take part in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship 2026, faced mismanagement even before the tournament began. After arriving in the Bangladesh capital on Tuesday, November 3, the players did not get hotel rooms for their stay. The incident has raised questions over the organisation of the tournament and the host arrangements.
According to reports, the Indian contingent reached Dhaka at around 2:15 pm. The team was supposed to stay at a private hotel on Gulshan Avenue. When the players and support staff arrived there, they found that rooms had not been booked or allotted in their names. The team then had to wait for several hours. Even by around 5 pm, accommodation arrangements had not been made. Later, information emerged that arrangements were being made for the players at an alternative hotel. India will enter the competition to defend its title. However, this time the All India Football Federation has sent a second team under under-23 coach Naushad Moosa instead of the main senior team. The senior team is preparing for two international friendlies against New Zealand.
India has been placed in Group B with Pakistan and Maldives. The team’s first match will be against Pakistan at the National Stadium in Dhaka on November 5. The match will begin at 3 pm IST. India won the previous edition in 2023, claiming the SAFF Championship title for the ninth time.
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