'Can't play both': India withdraw from FIFA ASEAN Cup to prioritise Brazil clash
"We have pulled out of the FIFA ASEAN Cup since we can't play both Brazil and FIFA ASEAN Cup," Satyanarayanan was quoted as saying by PTI.
India has decided to withdraw from the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup in order to prioritize their upcoming international friendly against five-time world champions Brazil in October. The Indian Football Federation (AIFF) deputy secretary general, M Satyanarayanan, announced the withdrawal on Thursday. The AIFF explained that they cannot field their senior team for both Brazil and the ASEAN Cup due to scheduling conflicts.
The FIFA ASEAN Cup was intended to be a new international competition for teams from the ASEAN region, with India invited as one of the guest teams. India had initially accepted the invitation and were placed in Division 1 Group A with Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. The tournament was scheduled to take place between September 21 and October 6, during the FIFA international window.
However, India's match against Brazil, scheduled for October 3 at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium, created a scheduling clash with the ASEAN Cup. The AIFF had considered sending a separate or developmental squad to the competition while using the senior team for the Brazil game, but ultimately decided to withdraw from the tournament altogether.
The Brazil fixture was officially announced last month, and the decision to withdraw marks a change from India's earlier plans. By pulling out of the FIFA ASEAN Cup, India will miss the opportunity to play some of Southeast Asia's leading sides in a FIFA-sanctioned competition. India has not qualified for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup and has struggled to arrange regular matches against high-ranked opponents in recent years.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
