AIFF Deputy Secretary General Satyanarayan on ISL Clubs releasing players, India's performance & more after Panama draw
India to face Brazil and Uruguay next in Kolkata
The Sree Kanteerava Stadium in the Silicon Valley of India saw the Blue Tigers rewrite a new chapter in Indian football after holding two-time World Cup participants Panama to a 1-1 draw.
Not only did India manage to clinch a draw, but Khalid Jamil’s men were dominating the game throughout the first half and the last few minutes of the second half. India, 94 spots behind Panama in the FIFA rankings, stunned the world and broke the deadlock in the 41st minute after a brilliant assist from Akash Mishra.
Panama looked helpless as the resilient Indian defence held their nerve, but a brilliant, world-class strike from New York Red Bull player Omar Valencia saw the Central American nation equalise near the hour mark.
After the game was levelled, Khalid’s men created more chances, and Edmund and Manvir came agonisingly close to finding the back of the net for the second time. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, but the Blue Tigers can hold their heads high after stunning two-time World Cup participants Panama.
Los Canaleros were playing their first international fixture against India after bowing out of the FIFA World Cup. Scoring against a tough side like Panama has never been easy. Before playing India, Panama’s most recent encounter was against a star studded English team in the FIFA World Cup 2026.
It is a historic moment for India as they went on to hold Panama to a 1-1 draw. The same Panama, who are 94 spots above India in the FIFA rankings and the same team that held Thomas Tuchel’s England to a goalless first half and rubbed shoulders with Harry Kane, Luka Modric, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice recently.
AIFF Deputy Secretary General Satyanarayan briefed the press about how ISL Clubs played a major role in this victory by releasing the player before time, inflated ticket prices and more.
ISL Clubs released their players ahead of FIFA International window
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The FIFA International window commenced on 21 September 2026, but Khalid Jamil began his national team camp at the AIFF Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru a week ago, on 14 September 2026. Several players reported ahead of time for the marquee international window.
East Bengal released their players a bit late due to the AFC Champions League 2 clash against Al Hussein, whereas Mohun Bagan players were competing in the Calcutta Football League. However, everyone reported on time, and the players had ample time to prepare for the big clash against Panama.
“The AIFF would also like to thank the clubs for their cooperation in releasing players ahead of the FIFA window, at a time when they were fine-tuning their squads for the upcoming ISL season.”
“We had a meeting with five CEOs of FC Goa, Mohun Bagan, SC Delhi, BFC and NEUFC, National Team Head Coach Khalid Jamil and Manager Velu Dhayalamani and DSG, AIFF, about a fortnight ago, and discussed the schedules for both the October and November windows.”
“This is perhaps for the first time in a long period that the clubs and the coach exchanged views, and the clubs said they would also help in building the national team.”
Satyanarayan feels Khalid deserves the credit for Panama win
The former Jamshedpur FC gaffer took over the reins as the national team coach back on August 1, 2025, but apart from the bronze in the CAFA Nations Cup, India seldom had any moment to cherish.
After India failed to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2027, there were a lot of questions raised about Khalid’s tactics and style. But the former North East United FC gaffer silenced his critics as India managed to hold Panama to a 1-1 draw.
“Full credit to Jamil, his coaching staff and the players for uncorking a champagne performance at the Kanteerava on Friday. While the Panama players had competitive action playing for their respective clubs in the build-up, it was not the same for the Indian players.”
Satyanarayan explains why Kanteerava was not houseful last night
The Honorary Member of the Karnataka State Football Association stated that preponing the match by a day due to the Bengaluru marathon affected attendance. He denied any reports of free tickets being distributed to college students and felt that the turnout of around 10,000 was a decent number.
“Contrary to reports, we did not distribute free tickets to colleges. It was a decent crowd of around 10,000. The attendance was affected by advancing the game from Saturday to Friday due to the marathon on Sunday, and perhaps also by the ticket prices. But there is always a price you need to pay to watch a World Cup team in action.”
What did Satyanarayan say about Khalid Jamil after the Panama draw?
AIFF Deputy Secretary General Satyanarayan gave full credit to Khalid Jamil, his coaching staff and the Indian players for their performance against Panama.
Why was the India vs Panama match not played in front of a full house?
Satyanarayan said the attendance was affected by the decision to advance the match by a day because of the Bengaluru marathon, as well as ticket prices.
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