Multiple challenges for India to defend SAFF Championship title in Bangladesh

The Indian men's football team is set to defend its title at the 2026 SAFF Championship in Dhaka, Bangladesh, amidst a busy November schedule. The Indian team will play its first match against Pakistan on Thursday. Currently, India has a limited number of players, and the team is being managed by Under-23 coach Naushad Musa.

According to a report by Sportstar, the Indian team will play a total of four matches during this November period, effectively fielding two different teams on the pitch. This type of strategy has become common in modern sports, as seen with the Indian cricket team when it fielded two different teams for the Asian Games and the home ODI series against the West Indies in September.

However, the road is not easy for India in this tournament. India is ranked 138th in the FIFA rankings, while Pakistan is at 197th. Looking at the rankings, Pakistan does not seem like a major threat, and similarly, Maldives also appears weak as it did not have a top-flight league football for three years between 2023 and 2025. But upsets caused by lower-ranked teams in football are the main attraction. The host, Bangladesh, knows this well, having defeated India in Dhaka last November for the first time in 26 years. Now, India will once again attempt to win in Dhaka by correcting its mistakes.

The arrival of the Indian team in Bangladesh was also difficult. The players were harassed for four hours due to not being provided hotel rooms and were only able to settle in late Monday night. The team trained in Kolkata on 2 November, and another session will be held in Dhaka on the night before the first match against Pakistan.

This situation is not new for coach Naushad Musa. As a player 29 years ago, he helped India win the 1997 SAFF Championship (then called the SAFF Gold Cup). He also has experience working with a small number of players. During the AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers last year, while the team was departing for Doha, he lost players like Suhail Ahmed Bhat. In that tournament, India defeated Bahrain and Brunei, but due to the loss against Qatar, India failed to qualify for the first time.

Now, Musa has another chance to achieve success. His greatest strength is that he has a core of club teammates and has previously coached most of the available players. On the attacking front, Punjab FC forward Mohammed Suhail, who made an impact in the Asian Cup qualifiers, will lead the attack through the flanks. On the opposite side, 26-year-old Naofal PN will play, who has made his mark with great runs for Mumbai City FC. Liston Colaco will not be available for the first match, so Naofal will play an important role. In a 4-4-2 formation, Bhat and Irfan Yadevad will play as the main strikers.

In the midfield, Musa has players like Farukh Choudhary and Suresh Singh Wangjam. Alongside them will be Nakil Prabhu, who will work as a double pivot with Suresh and bring senior team experience. However, in the absence of an experienced goalkeeper, there will be more pressure on the defensive line. This could put Bijoy Varghese, Chinglesana Singh Konsham, Hmingthanmawia Ralte, and Mohammed Uwais at risk.

Naushad Musa's teams are generally fast in transition and push the ball forward through the wings. This speed is expected from Mohammed Suhail and Naofal. In a previous interview given to Sportstar, Musa said, "When you talk about our time, football was played in a certain way. Now it is completely different; it has become more tactical. We are preparing players who must be skilled in decision-making. Now, more speed is required than before."

This tournament is also important for Brison Fernandes. After making a breakthrough at FC Goa, this winger joined Chennaiyin in the summer and now wants to prove his capability by returning to the national team. On the other hand, Pakistan will hope to perform better than the result they got three years ago, when Pakistan lost 0-4 to India and finished last in their group.

Naushad Musa had played as a defender for the Indian football team in the past and played a significant role in winning the SAFF Championship in 1997.