India are set to prioritise two international friendlies against New Zealand in November over the SAFF Championship in Dhaka, with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) planning to send its senior team to New Zealand, according to reports.
An Under-23 or reserve-heavy India side could be tasked with defending the country’s SAFF Championship title in Dhaka, where the tournament is scheduled to take place from November 4 to 17.
The FIFA international window does not begin until November 7, leaving the SAFF Championship partly outside the international window.
According to a Times of India report, India head coach Khalid Jamil wants his strongest squad available for the New Zealand friendlies.
“When the friendlies against teams that played at the FIFA World Cup were offered, I agreed with the federation decision,” Jamil was quoted as saying.
“For the next window in November, there are two options. I have told AIFF that we must send our best team to New Zealand.”
A senior AIFF official also told the newspaper that Jamil believes playing stronger opponents would benefit the national team as he builds a younger squad.
The SAFF Championship was initially scheduled for the September 21-October 6 FIFA window but was postponed after India expressed interest in participating in the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup. India eventually withdrew from the ASEAN Cup to play high-profile friendlies against Panama, Brazil and Uruguay, while Bangladesh were included in the competition.
India are the defending SAFF champions, having won the 2023 edition on home soil for their ninth title. They are drawn in Group B alongside Maldives and Pakistan, with their campaign scheduled to begin against Maldives on November 5 before facing Pakistan on November 11.
Bangladesh, meanwhile, are in Group A alongside Sri Lanka and Bhutan.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, with the final set to be staged in Dhaka on November 17.
