SAFF Championship 2023: Pakistan's arrival to India delayed

The arrival of the Pakistan football team to India takes a new turn!

The international break is up and running all across the globe and the story is no different in India either. The Blue Tigers will play the final of the Hero Intercontinental Cup 2023 late on Sunday evening before moving to the megacity of Bengaluru for the 2023 SAFF Championship.

Well the big news this time around is that the Pakistan National football team will also participate in the competition and will face off against the Blue Tigers after a very long time. However, their travel has been delayed due to some visa issues.

From what the reports have mentioned until now, Pakistan’s arrival has been postponed due to some visa issues, but they are expected to reach Bengaluru in time before their opening fixture against the Blue Tigers.

The Pakistani Falcons were expected to land in Bengaluru after the completion of their 4-Nation Cup campaign in Mauritius. But, they are still in Mauritius as they did not take their scheduled flight to Bengaluru on Sunday morning. 

India vs Pakistan

The clash between the neighbours is often considered to be one of the most iconic and rivalry-backed fixtures across all sports. Be it cricket or football, India vs Pakistan is always an entertainer as the stakes are very high.

Pakistan’s tour of India to participate in the 2023 SAFF Championship will be their first trip to the country after a very long time. And it won’t be an easy task as India are the defending champions and are currently in a great run of form. 

Pakistan will face off against the Blue Tigers on June 21 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in what will be the opening fixture for either team. They come into the tournament after having a 'not so good' 4-Nation Cup tournament in Mauritius where they ended up on the losing side in all three games. 

Moreover, they scored just once but conceded seven goals in the process. They’ll want to begin on a fresh page and put the Mauritius trip behind their backs when they take the field at the 2023 SAFF Championship.