SAFF confirms India’s participation, ends withdrawal speculation

Defending champions India will compete in next month's SAFF Championship in Dhaka, organisers have confirmed, ending rumours of a late withdrawal despite major scheduling clashes.

The six-team tournament is set to take place in Dhaka from 5 to 17 November. Rumours circulated heavily on Saturday suggesting India had pulled out of the competition, but the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) issued a firm statement in the evening to shut the talk down.

While India remains in the tournament, a real headache over squad selection and tournament preparation still hangs over the team.

The main issue is a badly jammed international fixture list. India’s senior national team is already booked for a tour of New Zealand during the upcoming FIFA international window, which runs from 9 to 17 November. They are scheduled to play two friendly matches against the hosts on 12 and 15 November.

India's opening match in the SAFF Championship against Pakistan falls on 5 November, which sits just outside the official FIFA window. Because of this, clubs in the Indian Super League (ISL) are not legally forced to let their players go. With clubs reluctant to lose their star men, fielding a full-strength senior side in Dhaka looks almost impossible for India.

Faced with this roadblock, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has looked into sending an Under-23 team. However, getting clubs to release youth players is proving just as difficult. Indian football recently suffered a heavy blow at the Unity Cup in the UK when Mohun Bagan called their players back to camp, leaving India to field a badly weakened side.

Despite the current club battles, India does have happy memories of trusting their youngsters in Bangladesh, having won the 2009 SAFF title in Dhaka with a youth team.

Brushing aside the withdrawal whispers, SAFF made their position completely clear. In an official statement on Saturday evening, the governing body said it had "serious concern" over the online media reports.

Calling the rumours "entirely unfounded and inaccurate," the governing body said: "We confirm that India's participation in the tournament remains intact, and no communication regarding any withdrawal has been received by SAFF from the All India Football Federation (AIFF)."

Tournament bosses insisted there is no reason to panic. "Preparations for the Tecno SAFF Championship 2026 are progressing smoothly and at full pace, with all stakeholders working diligently," the statement read.

SAFF promised fans and partners that the competition will go ahead "as planned, with the participation of the six teams previously announced." They also urged the public to "rely on official communications from SAFF for accurate information regarding the championship and to refrain from giving credence to unverified reports."

Even with SAFF's strong promises, the mystery surrounding the Indian team is far from solved. With less than three weeks to go before kick-off, the AIFF has still not named its squad. Caught in a tug-of-war between a trip to New Zealand and stubborn local clubs, fans must wait to see if India will send their top stars or a group of fresh faces to defend the trophy.