Kolkata: Seeking competition outside South Asia, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) had accepted the invitation to be a guest team at the first FIFA ASEAN Cup. But when the tournament details were shared, AIFF was in advanced negotiations with CBF, the Brazil federation, to get the five-time world champions to play a friendly against India in Kolkata on October 3.
Since the dates for the friendly and the tournament in Indonesia clash, AIFF is exploring the option of sending a second team to the ASEAN meet, a decision which was opposed by former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia. If FIFA does not agree, India will pull out of the competition where they have been grouped with Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Participating teams will get $125,000 each and the winners’ purse is $1m.
“I think this is a good opportunity to get at least three quality games,” Bhutia told HT over the phone from New Delhi on Thursday. “Why should India send a B team for that and focus on the match against Brazil? I am not against holding such friendlies but the timing is not right.” Bhutia said he was the lone dissenter at Thursday’s executive committee meeting in New Delhi.
AIFF will try and organise a couple of friendlies to help head coach Khalid Jamil’s team prepare for Brazil, the committee was told, according to an official who was present.
The official said details of the FIFA ASEAN Cup were provided on July 27. By then, lawyers were going through the fine print in the contract between AIFF and CBF, said the official. While India have played Malaysia and Singapore recently, the chance to host a top-10 team is rare and so the executive committee decided to prioritise the friendly, the official said. Not authorised to speak to the media, the official did not want to be named.
The executive committee was also told that a payment will have to be made by this month for the friendly. AIFF may do that and will be reimbursed. No further details were given.
AIFF’s budget was also approved with deputy secretary-general Satyanarayan Muthyalu informing the committee that if all events are organised in 2026-27, the federation will have a deficit of ₹14 crore. Since its agreement with the commercial partners ended last December, AIFF does not get an annual payment of ₹50 crore. Yet no events have been pruned and a new men’s under-20 tournament added.
“In such a situation, should we commit to paying for the game against Brazil? What if things do not materialise and we are not reimbursed,” said Bhutia.
