SAFF Championship 2026 – Why champion India shouldn’t take Pakistan and Maldives lightly in Bangladesh

Chennai In a packed November schedule, the Indian men’s football team will play four matches and, in effect, field two different teams. It’s not an uncommon phenomenon in modern sports as evidenced by the country’s men’s cricket team, which fielded two different sides at the Asian Games and the home ODI series against the West Indies in September. The first match kicks off on Thursday, against Pakistan in the 2026 SAFF Championship in Dhaka. India has a depleted squad, an under-23 coach – Naushad Moosa – in charge, and a title to defend.