India Left Without Rooms in Dhaka as SAFF Championship Begins with Pakistan Clash

The Indian men’s football team arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday to defend their title at the SAFF Championship 2026, only to discover that no hotel rooms had been allocated for them upon landing. The off-field accommodation failure came just two days before the Blue Tigers open their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on Thursday, November 5.

Despite landing in Bangladesh to chase a record-extending 10th title in the tournament, the 28-member squad was forced to deal with immediate accommodation chaos. The six-team regional competition runs from November 5 to November 17 in Dhaka. For a squad managing tight match schedules and travel recovery, starting a major tournament competing in the SAFF Championship without hotel rooms creates immediate physical friction—for instance, players spend key hours managing check-in delays in public lobbies rather than completing tactical recovery sessions or eating planned pre-match meals.

Hotel chaos greets India before Pakistan opener

Sportstar and News18 reported that the Indian contingent found themselves without hotel accommodation immediately after landing in Bangladesh on Tuesday. The organizational mix-up leaves the squad scrambling for basic lodging less than 48 hours before their opening match against Pakistan, scheduled for Thursday, November 5, at 3:00 PM IST.

The scheduling pressure coincides with India deploying a 28-man squad drawn heavily from Indian Super League clubs. Khel Now detailed the club-wise breakdown of the roster, which relies on active ISL players to maintain match fitness. The India vs Pakistan fixture serves as the opening match on Day 1 of the tournament, putting instant focus on how quickly the technical staff can settle the team in Dhaka after the initial disruption.

Format, squad breakdown and VAR debut

The six-team tournament takes place over 12 days in Dhaka, featuring the top national teams from across South Asia. India enters the competition as the defending champion, aiming to collect a 10th regional title. The 2026 edition will also mark a technological shift for the competition, as match organizers plan to introduce Video Assistant Referee (VAR) systems starting in the finals.

The senior team’s arrival follows recent activity in South Asian football across age groups. In the SAFF U20 Championship held at the National Football Stadium in Male, Maldives, India previously earned a commanding win over Pakistan before taking on Bangladesh for the top spot in Group B. The senior 28-man squad now aims to duplicate that regional dominance in Dhaka using its ISL-based lineup.

How to watch and what comes next

Indian fans looking to follow the tournament live will be using a new broadcast home. Subscription-free OTT platform VETO secured the live streaming rights for the SAFF Championship 2026, making the tournament available across its digital network.

VETO will stream all six-team tournament fixtures live, starting with the opening day clash between India and Pakistan on November 5 at 3:00 PM IST. The competition continues through to the final on November 17 in Dhaka.