Pakistan open SAFF Cup against India after Dhaka hotel switch
Nolberto Solano's squad reached Dhaka via Qatar early on Wednesday, while India also reported delays before Thursday's Group B match.
Pakistan begin their SAFF Cup 2026 campaign against India at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Thursday, after the squad's hotel in the Bangladeshi capital was changed shortly before the team left Islamabad.
A source described by The Express Tribune as well-placed said the change was made before the team's departure on Tuesday. The squad, coached by Nolberto Solano, travelled via Qatar and reached Dhaka in the early hours of Wednesday.
The switch left the players little time to settle before the Group B match. Dhaka's Daily Sun reported that Pakistan missed a training session before the India game because of a luggage delay, a detail the other outlets covering the tournament did not carry.
India, the defending champions, had accommodation trouble of their own. The Express Tribune, citing a web portal, reported that the Indian squad landed in Dhaka around 2:15pm, was given the address of a private hotel on Gulshan Avenue, and found on arrival that rooms had not been allocated. Players were still waiting at 5pm IST, according to that report. A later report confirmed the Indian team had been accommodated.
The Express Tribune said it approached a senior SAFF official for comment and received no reply. Minute Mirror reported that SAFF officials had not publicly responded to the concerns.
Solano said his side would treat each group match as a final. "We have a big game against India on Thursday, followed by Maldives. Our focus is on these two matches and qualifying for the semi-finals," he said. He compared the intensity of the fixture to the Peru-Chile rivalry and said he understood what the game meant to fans.
Pakistan, India and Maldives are in Group B. Hosts Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan are in Group A, and Bangladesh meet Bhutan under floodlights in Thursday's second match. Nepal are absent from the six-team tournament because of a suspension.
The top two teams in each group reach the semi-finals on November 14, with the final on November 17.
India have won the SAFF Cup nine times. Pakistan have never won it, and their third place in 1997 remains their best finish. The Express Tribune reported that India are fielding an under-23 side in Dhaka.
How the reports differ
The Express Tribune led on organisational problems and attributed the Pakistan hotel change to an unnamed well-placed source, reporting that India eventually secured rooms in Dhaka. Daily Sun alone reported that Pakistan missed a training session because of a luggage delay. Minute Mirror said SAFF officials had not publicly responded, while The Express Tribune said its own request for comment went unanswered. New Age BD led on the arrival of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and The Express Tribune alone reported that India are fielding an under-23 side.
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