Indian national football team pull out of friendly tournament in Vietnam
VOV.VN - The Indian national football team’s participation in a tournament featuring a game against Vietnam on September 27 has been canceled as the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has been suspended by FIFA, according to the website ASEAN Football.
Following the suspension, the AIFF won’t be allowed to participate in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, with the Philippines being an alternative.
Furthermore, the Indian national team will not play in any international matches, including the friendly tournament in Vietnam.
Moreover, the Indian league champions won't be able to participate in any continental tournaments, including the AFC Cup - Inter Zone's Semi Finals against an ASEAN Zone club.
In addition, India won't be hosting FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.
This comes after the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) had announced an international football tournament to take place on FIFA dates, the period of time when domestic leagues take a break for international friendlies.
This event had been widely considered a warm-up for the Vietnam national team ahead of the 2022 AFF Cup which is set to take place at the end of the year.
Vietnam will play Singapore on September 21 and another national team on September 27, with the match between Singapore and the other national team set to take place on September 24.
All matches will be played at the Thong Nhat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City.
In line with the new FIFA suspension, India won’t be able to compete in the tournament, with the VFF planning to invite another Asian national team to participate in the friendly game.