India and Pakistan promise handshakes as SAFF title race opens in Dhaka

A rivalry with room for respect

India and Pakistan will open the 2026 SAFF Championship at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Thursday, November 5, with both camps promising to shake hands despite the political tensions surrounding their sporting rivalry. Kick-off is scheduled for 3:30pm in Bangladesh, equivalent to 3pm Indian Standard Time.

India arrive as defending champions seeking a record 10th title. Pakistan are chasing their first appearance in a SAFF final. Yet before either side could discuss how to win, their representatives faced questions about whether they would exchange the ordinary courtesies of football: handshakes before or after the match, shirt exchanges and perhaps an embrace.

India coach Naushad Moosa gave an unequivocal answer at Wednesday's press conference when asked about shaking hands and exchanging shirts with Pakistan's players.

"Of course, we will do that. We would even hug them if necessary," he said.

Pakistan captain Alamgir Ghazi made the same commitment, drawing a direct contrast with the handshake controversies that have surrounded cricket matches between the countries.

"The same applies to us. This is not cricket, it is football. That is what makes the game so beautiful. We will do the same," he said.

The pledges give the tournament opener a clear message: both teams intend to compete fiercely while maintaining personal respect. Political tensions have restricted bilateral sporting ties for years and pushed encounters in several sports to neutral venues. In Dhaka, the players and coaches want attention to return to the football, with a place in the semi-finals the immediate sporting objective.

India bring nine titles and a younger squad

India's record makes them the established power in the six team competition. They won their ninth SAFF Championship in 2023 by defeating Kuwait in the final in Bengaluru. They also enter this tournament at 138th in the cited FIFA rankings, compared with Pakistan at 197th, a gap of 59 places.

Moosa, however, has brought a relatively inexperienced squad. Several senior players are assigned to two friendly matches against New Zealand under senior national team coach Khalid Jamil. Moosa said that tour had been arranged well in advance, while the SAFF Championship falls outside a FIFA international window.

A FIFA international window is a period set aside for national team matches, when clubs generally have to release eligible players. Outside those periods, national coaches can have fewer players available. Indian Super League commitments have also limited Moosa's choices for Dhaka.

Moosa said India were taking the competition seriously, while making good performances his priority rather than asking a young group to carry the weight of nine previous titles.

"I have brought a young team. To be honest, I am not really worried about defending the title. I just want to play good football. If the team plays well, the results will follow," he said.

Rodriguez turns pressure into motivation

India captain Nathan Rodriguez also rejected the suggestion that facing Pakistan would place an extra burden on his players. His response matched Moosa's wish for a squad able to play with a free mind.

"There is no pressure here. Rather, it is motivation to give our best and put everything on the pitch. Hopefully, we can leave the field with a good result," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez also agreed that India would shake hands with their opponents, treating the gesture as a routine part of the match. For a younger squad, Thursday brings two demands at once: handling a highly charged fixture and beginning a short group campaign in which each team has only two matches.

Pakistan prepare for a special match

Pakistan's preparations have included a training camp at home and logistical problems that delayed their arrival in Dhaka. Titus Bramble, the assistant coach who addressed the press conference in the absence of head coach Nelberto Solano, said the camp had left the players ready to begin.

Ghazi described the India fixture as special for both teams. He also recognised the strength of the opposition despite India's missing senior players, saying Pakistan wanted to play their own football and give their neighbours a difficult match.

Pakistan's squad includes players competing abroad, with football experience in Sweden, Denmark and New Zealand. Moosa specifically pointed to Pakistan's players in European leagues as a reason to expect a different challenge from the teams India have faced before.

Several expatriate players will initially be absent. Pakistan's captain and coaching staff said they could join if the team reached the semi-finals; their names and confirmed arrival dates were not given. Qualification could therefore affect both Pakistan's tournament prospects and the selection options available to their coaches.

Dhaka offers Pakistan a familiar connection

Ghazi has a personal reason to hope that the crowd will favour Pakistan. He played for Bangladeshi club Brothers Union last season, giving him a connection with the host country's football supporters.

The Pakistan captain made a direct appeal for backing when discussing the match.

"I hope the Bangladeshi people will support Pakistan against India as well," he said.

Dhaka also holds a meaningful result in Pakistan's history against India. Pakistan won their SAFF meeting in the city 1-0 in 2003, during the tournament in which Bangladesh claimed the championship. That remains Pakistan's only victory over India in their nine previous SAFF encounters.

India have won seven of those nine matches. The other was a 1-1 draw in their first meeting in the competition in 1993. Pakistan therefore return to the city of their sole SAFF success against India while trying to take a larger step: reaching a final for the first time.

What the previous meetings tell us

India's most recent meeting with Pakistan ended in a 4-0 victory at the 2023 SAFF Championship in Bengaluru. Sunil Chhetri scored three goals, a hat-trick, and Udanta Singh Kumam added the fourth. India went on to win the tournament.

The historical totals circulating before this fixture use different counts. The senior international tally is listed in pre-match reports as 29 meetings, with 16 India wins, four Pakistan wins and nine draws; another tally covering encounters since 1953 lists 25 matches, with 16 India wins, two Pakistan wins and seven draws. The reason for the different counts is unspecified.

Within the SAFF Championship, the record is more straightforward: India have won seven of nine meetings, or about 78 percent. Those figures explain India's position as favourites, while the 2003 result gives Pakistan a concrete success to recall in Dhaka.

Moosa's assessment centres on the players available now. India's younger selection and Pakistan's contingent playing abroad make the composition of this contest different from the 2023 encounter, even though the countries and the regional trophy are the same.

A calmer message after the 2023 confrontation

The last SAFF meeting also produced a touchline confrontation. In 2023, then India coach Igor Stimac grabbed the ball from a Pakistani player preparing to take a throw-in. The incident triggered a confrontation involving players and staff, and Stimac received a red card.

That episode gives particular relevance to the current promises of sporting courtesy. This time, both captains and the India coach have publicly committed to respectful exchanges before the match has begun.

Players will still have to manage tackles, decisions and the pressure of the score during the game. The captains have already set out their preferred tone: a determined contest followed by the same courtesies they would extend to other opponents.

How the tournament will unfold

India, Pakistan and the Maldives form Group B. Hosts Bangladesh are in Group A with Sri Lanka and Bhutan. The top two teams in each group will qualify for the semi-finals, leaving one team from each group eliminated after the opening phase.

With only two group matches for each side, the opener carries immediate weight. A victory would bring three points; a draw would give each team one. India will complete their group schedule against the Maldives on November 11, six days after facing Pakistan.

The announced schedule includes these key dates:

• November 4: Representatives of India and Pakistan discuss preparations and promise handshakes at the press conference in Dhaka.
• November 5: India face Pakistan at the National Stadium at 3:30pm Bangladesh time, or 3pm IST.
• November 11: India play the Maldives at 3pm IST.
• November 14: The top two teams from each group contest the semi-finals.
• November 17: The finalists meet for the championship.

The India versus Pakistan opener is scheduled to stream on the Veto app. For India, the first task is to begin their title defence successfully with a younger squad. For Pakistan, a positive result would strengthen their chance of progressing and build confidence in a tournament where they have yet to reach the final.

Key Points

• India and Pakistan meet in Dhaka on November 5 at 3:30pm local time, equivalent to 3pm IST.
• Both camps have promised handshakes and respectful exchanges despite the rivalry.
• India seek a 10th SAFF title with several senior players assigned to friendlies against New Zealand.
• Pakistan hope to reach their first SAFF final and may gain additional expatriate players if they qualify for the semi-finals.
• India won the last meeting 4-0 in 2023; Pakistan's only SAFF victory over India came in Dhaka in 2003.
• The semi-finals are scheduled for November 14 and the final for November 17.