Islamabad: Pakistan Football Federation has received the No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) which has confirmed the participation of the national football team in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship held in India this year.
Pakistan men’s football team has started preparations to depart for Bengaluru. The event is scheduled from June 21 to July 4. Pakistan team is currently in Mauritius, where they are participating in the four-nation tournament. Players and officials had already submitted their visa applications.
Pakistan is in Group A with India, Kuwait, and Nepal. The green shirts will make a comeback in the championship as they missed two editions. In 2015, the team was unable to participate due to lack of funds while in 2021 it was facing suspension from FIFA.
Two teams will not be participating in SAFF 2023 Championship. Sri Lanka is facing suspension from FIFA. On the other hand, Afghanistan has joined the Central Asian Football Federation and left SAFF.