SAFF Football: A visa problem has delayed the entrance of the Pakistani squad
A visa problem has delayed the arrival of the Pakistani football team here for the SAFF Football Championship, but the team is anticipated to arrive in time for its first match against India on June 21.
On Sunday, the Pakistani team was scheduled to arrive in Bengaluru after competing in the Four Nation Cup in Mauritius. The crew, however, missed the morning departure to India and is now staying in Mauritius.
Pakistan is due to play India on June 21 at 7:30 PM IST at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, however a KSFA representative claimed there was no need for alarm over the visiting team’s arrival.
The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), where the applicant’s application is filed, is closed on weekends and is located in Mauritius. We communicate with the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) and the Embassy via the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
On condition of anonymity, a senior KSFA official told PTI: “The word is coming through that the visa applications of Pakistan players will be processed Monday and they will be able to land in Bengaluru Monday night or Tuesday morning well in time for the fixture.”
The PFF had claimed that the nation’s Sports Board had delayed issuing the team’s NOC to go to India, but the Board had responded by claiming that the Federation had failed to submit the necessary paperwork on time.
During the SAFF competition, Pakistan will also play Kuwait (June 24) and Nepal (June 27) in Group A matches.
Pakistan lost all three of its Four Nation Cup games, placing last overall, indicating that their preparation for the tournament was far from optimal. Djibouti won all three of its matches at the event, which was hosted in Mauritius.
