SAFF Club Championship to comprise two teams from India

Since India are the highest-ranked SAFF member association, they’ll enjoy the privilege of having two representatives compared to one from others.

The South Asian Football Federation has announced that the inaugural edition of the SAFF Club Championship will be played in 2024. The annual international club championship of South Asia will see eight teams participating from seven member nations.

Initially it was planned to be played at a centralised venue with 16 teams, but has now been changed to a home-away format with eight teams, after the AIFF expressed reservations over allotting two weeks during the regular Indian football calendar.

The decision to hold the SAFF Club Championship was taken during the South Asian Football Federation Ordinary Congress in May 2023. The tournament is expected to begin August 2024 and will be played in a home-away knockout format.

India’s representation

Out of the eight participating teams, India will have two representatives as tney are the highest-ranked member association. The teams that will finish at the top-two of the Indian Super League table will represent India.

However, the top-two criteria will not be applicable for the teams who have qualified for the AFC Cup giving the other clubs an equal opportunity to represent India at the international stage.

Only Indian Super League (ISL) clubs will be allowed to participate in the 2024 SAFF Club Championship with no place for the I-League clubs. The opportunity to play the upcoming club championship comes in with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

While the clubs will get an opportunity to represent India at the international stage, it will also increase their workload. An increase in workload will surely give the clubs a chase to test their bench strength but will also increase the risk of injuries.

Other representatives

Six countries namely Maldives, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will have one representative each. In December 2023, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) announced that the Pakistani spot would be decided through qualifiers between AFC Chaman, Muslim FC and Baloch Nushki FC.

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