Pakistan football team’s arrival in Bangalore ran into rough weather on Sunday due to a visa issue. The contingent was supposed to land in Bangalore on Sunday night for the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship which begins on Wednesday.
But Pakistan are stranded in Mauritius and are most likely to reach the southern city on Tuesday. They play their first match against India on Wednesday which means Pakistan will not have even 24 hours rest before lining up for the kick-off. If the visa procedure gets delayed on Monday then Pakistan may land on the day of the match.
“We may have to rejig the tournament schedule. It’s still not clear. Senior AIFF (All India Football Federation) officials are reaching Bangalore on Monday and we will take a call after discussing with all the stakeholders,” a senior official of the Karnataka State Football Association told The Telegraph on Sunday evening.
“Yes, options (of a rejig of the fixture) are there. That will not be a problem,” a SAFF official said. “India’s Ministry of Home Affairs is closed on the weekend and Pakistan’s application is with the Indian embassy in Mauritius. It has been put on the fast track and all the stakeholders are hopeful of Pakistan’s participation in the SAFF meet,” another official said.
Kuwait, Lebanon, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan and Bangladesh are the other nations participating in the eight-team tournament. Pakistan are scheduled to face Kuwait on June 24 and Nepal on June 27 in their Group A matches.
Pakistan had applied for visa very late and its association (Pakistan Football Federation) has accused the country’s sports board for delaying the no-objection certificate (NOC) for the team’s travel to India.
The sports board countered that the federation did not submit relevant documents in time.
The delay in the issuance of the NOC had prompted members of the Pakistan national football team to voice their concerns on social media. The interior ministry gave the green light to make the trip on Thursday.
Pakistan are ranked 195 in the latest Fifa rankings.
