September 2023 is set to be one of the busiest months in Indian Football history, with the national teams competing in as many as seven different tournaments in four nations across Asia.
The men’s senior, U23, U19 and U16, and the women’s senior and U17 teams will be in action. September 21 will be the busiest day on the calendar with four matches, the Indian men and women against Bangladesh and Chinese Taipei respectively in the Asian Games in China, the men’s U19 team versus Bangladesh in the SAFF U19 Championship in Nepal and the women’s U17s against Thailand in the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers all kicking off in the span of six hours, as per All India Football Federation (AIFF). September 1-10: SAFF U16 Championship at Thimphu, Bhutan. Newly-appointed head coach Ishfaq Ahmed will lead India’s title defence at the SAFF U16 Championship at the picturesque Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan from the first day of September. After extensive scouting in five zones, the freshly-assembled batch of probables has been training in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, since mid-July. India are drawn with Bangladesh and Nepal in Group A of the tournament, with the top two teams progressing to the semi-finals. India’s fixtures at the SAFF U16 Championship: Having recently been named the AIFF Men’s Coach of the Year, Clifford Miranda will now hope to secure India’s first-ever ticket to the AFC U23 Asian Cup.
The preparatory camp consisting of 28 probables will begin in Bhubaneswar on August 20. After the opening fixture against neighbours Maldives at the Dalian Sports Centre Stadium, the task will get significantly tougher with hosts China PR and the UAE in the final two games of Group G. The group winners and four best runners-up across 11 groups will make up the cast of 16 at the final tournament in Qatar next year, which also acts as the AFC qualifiers for the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024. The first half of 2023 was a glorious one for the Indian senior men’s team, who emerged champions of all three competitions they participated in. Eager to replicate their fine form on foreign soil, Igor Stimac’s side will land in northern Thailand to take part in the 49th King’s Cup during FIFA’s September international match window.
