'We would love to hug them': India head coach Naushad Moosa shares friendly message ahead of Pakistan clash

The Blue Tigers begin their SAFF Championship 2026 against Pakistan.

India and Pakistan are set to write another chapter in the long rivalry when they take on each other in the SAFF Championship 2026 at the National Stadium in Dhaka at 3:00 PM IST.

India vs Pakistan clash always brings heated rivalry between the two sides and recently there has been a trend where at multiple instances in different sports the two sides have not shaken hands.

However ahead of this clash in SAFF Championship 2026, the two sides are ready to set aside their off-field differences and share a moment of sportsmanship, as the Indian head coach Naushad Moosa and Pakistan captain Alamgir Ghazi have all expressed their willingness to shake hands.

Naushad Moosa says India would love to hug Pakistan players

Naushad Moosa who is leading India in the SAFF Championship 2026, when asked whether the two sides will shake hands, stressed that there would be no hesitation from his side when it comes to showing sportsmanship towards the opposition.

Indian player Nathan Rodrigues also shared the same message, keeping sportsmanship ahead of off-field differences.

Nathan Rodrigues said, “Of course, yes yes, we will deal with it, but yeah we will do that.”

Adding to this, the Indian head coach Naushad Moosa said, “If needed we would love to go and hug them.”

Naushad Moosa also opened up on the squad for the SAFF Championship and the importance of this tournament.

Moosa said, “Of course SAFF is important for us. And accordingly, we have got the squad. You can say it’s the second string but no, there are players mixed from the senior team and the youth team because I have been handling the U-23 team. So, with the short preparation, what I need was the players who can understand the way I want to play football.”

Pakistan captain Alamgir Ghazi shares the same willingness

Pakistan captain Alamgir Ghazi also shared a similar sentiment following Naushad Moosa’s statement, when asked about the possibility of players from both teams shaking hands and showing sportsmanship.

He stressed that this is what makes football a beautiful game.

Alamgir said, “Same goes with us, it’s not cricket, it’s football. And that’s why it’s a beautiful game and we will do that with them.”

Alamgir also shared his thoughts on the Indian team.

He said, “They have a good team too, even their second team is better because we are missing half of our players today but it’s not an excuse and we will play our football, we will play well, because it’s a special game for both of us. So, we will play and have a good fight with them.”