9K in 26K Kanteerava - How AIFF priced fans out of India’s landmark draw against Panama!
India held 44th ranked Panama for a 1-1 draw at home.
India, who were in for a historic September–October international window with three games against three nations that featured in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, began their trio of friendlies with a clash against 44th-ranked Panama (now 46th) at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
The occasion was a pretty huge one for the players, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and every Indian football fan across the country, as 138th-ranked India had the opportunity to host a World Cup-playing nation on home soil; something that has not happened very often over the last few decades.
Khalid Jamil and his boys, who were pretty much expected to lose every game in this window, surprised everyone with their performance against Panama as they earned a historic 1-1 draw.
A result that almost feels like a loss given the number of big chances India missed in the final third. This is probably India’s biggest result on the international stage since the goalless draw against Qatar in 2019.
Ryan Williams gave the Blue Tigers the lead in the first half, while the visitors equalised around the hour mark.
Khalid Jamil’s side had opportunities to find the winner, with Edmund and Manvir missing some crucial chances in the final third.
Nonetheless, this draw alone is a massive morale boost for the players, supporters and the AIFF, who risked pulling out of the ASEAN Cup to prioritise these friendlies.
Fans vent their frustrations over being priced out of the game
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Just 9,039 people were in the stands to witness the nation punch above its weight in a stadium with a capacity of almost 26,000. Bengaluru FC managed to attract more than 15,000 spectators on average for every game during the last ISL season.
A 9,000 attendance for a national team game might make it look like the fans simply weren’t interested in showing up. But that was never the issue. The same Bengaluru turned up at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in numbers for the 2023 SAFF Championship, with an average attendance of around 18,000 per game and close to 25,000 fans attending the final.
The issue was rather the AIFF pricing fans out of the game, with the starting price of the tickets set at ₹849 (₹950 including the convenience fee and GST) just to sit on cement slabs.
The West Block was priced at almost ₹3,000, with the district early-bird offer bringing the price down to ₹2,000 for a few days.
On an average ISL matchday, these tickets would cost somewhere around ₹500. That’s a six-fold hike for a national team that had managed just one win in its previous five games heading into the fixture.
Mohit, a regular Bengaluru FC supporter who has attended every single Bengaluru FC match since the end of the pandemic and was also a regular in the stands when India won the 2023 SAFF Championship in Bengaluru, chose not to attend the game in protest against the AIFF and its unacceptable pricing.
Speaking in frustration, Mohit had the following to say:
“Since 2020, the Sree Kanteerava Stadium has been my second home. I have attended every single BFC match without miss. When the SAFF Championship 2023 came to town, watching India lift that trophy at the Kanteerava remains one of my proudest moments as a football fan. So, when the announcement dropped that India vs Panama was happening right here in Bengaluru, I was genuinely thrilled.”
“However, looking at the ticket pricing has left me and thousands of other passionate supporters deeply disappointed and angry. Charging ₹1,000 for North Upper and ₹849 for North and South Lower stands just to sit on bare cement slabs is completely unacceptable. We are all aware of our national team’s current situation and performance dip. Instead of making tickets accessible to fill the fortress and give the team the 12th-man advantage, the federation (AIFF) is treating fans like cash cows.”
“It is heartbreaking to see that the All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) is completely out of touch with the very people who keep the sport alive in this country. In 2023, when the team was performing better, tickets were reasonably priced. Now, with poorer performances, prices have skyrocketed. Empty stands don’t sing chants; money doesn’t create atmosphere. AIFF, start prioritizing fans over profits.”, lamented Mohit in frustration.
One of the fans on X (Formerly known as Twitter), Vinay Shankar, felt the same and pointed out that putting West Block tickets in the ₹3,000 price range effectively rules out the majority of college students from attending the game.
He also added that even working individuals would find it difficult to spend that much money on a single game.
AIFF Deputy Secretary General’s response to pricing criticisms
Despite failing to sell out the stadium for a game that was set to see the Blue Tigers face a nation that featured in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, AIFF Deputy Secretary General M. Satyanarayan seemed unfazed by the situation, simply stating that although the lower turnout was due to the higher ticket prices, there is always a price to pay when you want to witness World Cup nations in action.
“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,” commented AIFF Deputy Secretary General M. Satyanarayan.
A casual statement like this from an AIFF representative, after failing to fill the stands and taking away the opportunity for fans to witness history, makes you wonder even more whether this was simply done as a PR stunt ahead of the upcoming AIFF presidential elections, rather than presenting something at reasonable rates for Indian fans.
What was the result in the game between India and Panama?
India held 44th ranked Panama for a 1-1 draw at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
Who scored for India against Panama?
Bengaluru FC’s very own, Ryan Williams scored for the Blue Tigers the lead in the first half.
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