Panama, not Cape Verde, to be India’s opponents ahead of Brazil game

The Blue Tigers will be required to put their best foot forward in the four high-profile international friendlies lined up over the next three months during FIFA windows, with Panama and New Zealand being the other two rivals, apart from the Samba Boys, who will face India in Kolkata on 3 October. Both Panama and New Zealand were part of the 48-team World Cup in the US in June-July.

The AIFF, in a press release on Tuesday, confirmed that it will host Panama on 26 September, while the venue for the fixture will be confirmed later. Interestingly, the federation and its collaborators were earlier in talks with Cape Verde, one of the biggest surprise packages at the last World Cup, for a fixture ahead of the Brazil game in Kolkata on 3 October.

The buzz was that Voginha, their captain and star goalkeeper, would also be part of the squad, but the speculation has now been laid to rest. Incidentally, it will be the first-ever meeting between India and Panama and only the ninth different CONCACAF side India have faced in their history. Panama, ranked 44th in the FIFA World Ranking, will provide Sandesh Jhingan & Co. with another opportunity to test themselves against a World Cup-playing nation.

Los Canaleros were grouped alongside England, Croatia and Ghana in the last World Cup, while New Zealand were clubbed with Belgium, Iran and Egypt. Both teams failed to progress beyond the first round but are miles ahead of India in the rankings (Panama are 44th; New Zealand 86th). The Blue Tigers are scheduled to play New Zealand on November 12 and 15, respectively, in Auckland and Christchurch during the next FIFA window.

The invitation to Brazil, the perennial favourites in world football, has meanwhile polarised opinions in India’s football community. Former India captain Baichung Bhutia felt it was a colossal waste of money that could have been better utilised, especially as the Indian Super League (ISL), the country’s elite league, has been struggling in the absence of commercial partners since last season. There are about five weeks left before the marquee clash, but as of now, the AIFF is yet to finalise an agreement with online ticket vendors, with tickets set to be priced at a premium.   

M. Satyanarayan, AIFF deputy secretary general, said: “Playing against Panama will be a tough battle ahead of the Brazil game. Panama are a top-50 team in the world and it will be a good test for Khalid Jamil's boys. We are looking forward to our players getting the right exposure, and we normally don’t get to play such World Cup teams. So it’s a good FIFA window for us, where we are playing such tough teams.”