The much anticipated SAFF Championship 2023 is set to take place in India from 21st June. Football fans in South Asia are going to witness some exhilarating football action over the next 3 weeks as eight nations battle against each other to claim the most prestigious title in South Asian football.
Groups and Fixtures
The eight AFC nations have been divided into two groups of four teams. Six out of the eight teams are from the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF), whereas Lebanon and Kuwait national football teams have been invited as guests to make the tournament more competitive.
The division of the teams is as follows:
| Group A | Group B |
| India | Lebanon |
| Kuwait | Maldives |
| Nepal | Bhutan |
| Pakistan | Bangladesh |
Pakistan football team begins its campaign against arch-rivals India on 21st June. The Shaheens play their second group game against Kuwait on 24th June, before facing Nepal in the final group game on 27th June. All the matches from both groups are scheduled to be played at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru.
A Brief Overview of Pakistan Football Team’s Opponents
The Pakistan football team has got a mountain to climb if they wish to progress to the next round. All seven participating nations have got a superior FIFA Ranking and have more international experience than the Shaheens. Let’s assess what calibre of opponents will Pakistan be facing.
India
Defending champions, India, are the favourites to lift the SAFF Championship 2023 title. They are ranked 101st in the FIFA Rankings and have been playing brilliant football lately. They recently won the 2023 Intercontinental Cup by defeating Lebanon in the finals by 2-0.
The Blue Tigers are on a six-match unbeaten streak. Their talismanic captain, Sunil Chhetri, will be hoping to claim a 9th SAFF title for the Indian football team. Given the current form of the Blue Tigers and with the home advantage at their disposal, it is fair to say that India is going to be the team to beat in this competition.
Nepal
Although Nepal is ranked 170th in the FIFA Rankings, they are certainly no pushover. As is evident from their form over the last six months. They have lost only once in their last six games and were triumphant in the recently concluded 2023 Prime Minister’s Three Nations Cup. Manish Dangi’s 88th-minute winner, in the final against Laos, helped in securing the title for his country.
The Nepal football team also enjoyed a great run in the previous edition of the SAFF Championship. They finished in second spot in the group stage behind India and were eventually beaten by the Blue Tigers in the final by a scoreline of 3-0. Vincenzo Alberto’s men will be hoping to replicate similar performances in this year’s competition as well
Kuwait
The Kuwait football team is one of the two teams that will be making their debut in the SAFF Championships, as they have been invited to participate in the tournament to make it more competitive. Among all the eight nations participating in the 2023 SAFF Championship, Kuwait are the only nation who have made a World Cup appearance.
They were part of the 1982 FIFA World Cup and were unfortunately knocked out of the group stage by finishing at the bottom of their group. In recent times, the Kuwait football team has failed to reach the heights of their greats from the 1980s and 1990s. They are currently ranked 143rd in the FIFA Rankings and last won some silverware at the 2010 WAFF Championship. So, they will be determined to make their mark at the 2023 SAFF Championships.
See Also: Pathway for Pakistan Men’s Football Team to Play their First-ever AFC Asia Cup 2027
Pakistan’s squad for the SAFF Championship 2023
The following 28-member team was named by the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) ahead of the 4 Nations Cup and SAFF Championship.
Goalkeepers: Yousuf Butt, Saqib Hanif, Abdul Basit, Salman Ul Haq
Defenders: Abdullah Iqbal, Muhammad Umer Saeed, Muhammad Umar Hayat, Abdullah Shah, Ali Khan, Muhammad Sufyan, Mamoon Moosa, Haseeb Khan, Sardar Wali, Sohail Khan and, Easah Suliman
Midfielders: Alamgir Ghazi, Umair Ali, Ali Uzair, Moin Ahmed, Shayak Dost, Muhammad Waleed, Rahis Nabi, Harun Hamid, and Adnan Muhammad
Forwards: Abdul Samad, Muhammad Waheed, Otis Khan, and Hassan Bashir
Can the Pakistan football team cause an upset?
After days of speculation, the Pakistan football team was finally handed Indian Visas on Monday to participate in the SAFF Championship 2023. With the visa issue sorted out, the Shaheens must shift their focus to the game. They will have to bring their A-game as they have been slotted into a very tough group.
However, they will be in good spirits ahead of the match against arch-rivals India on 21st June after gaining some valuable experience during the recently concluded 4 Nations Cup in Mauritius. Their participation in the 4 Nations Cup will surely give them some confidence going ahead into the SAFF Championship.
Although they lost all three games in the 4 Nations Cup, the experience of playing against three physically strong African nations will surely come in handy in the upcoming competition. Despite a heavy defeat in their opening game, the Shaheens gradually improved as the tournament progressed.
Pakistan’s head coach, Shahzad Anwar, will be delighted by the way that foreign-based players have acclimatized into the team. He would be hoping that one or two among them can inspire the rest of the squad to achieve something big in the SAFF Championship.
