Pakistan Receives Visa Clearance, Ready to Take on World Champions India at SAFF Football Championship

The Pakistan football team has finally received clearance to travel to India and participate in the SAFF Football Championship. The news has been confirmed, with sources indicating that the team is now looking for the earliest flight out of Mauritius to make it in time for their opening match against India on January 21 at Sree Kanteerava Stadium.

This is a major boost for Pakistan football as they have spent over a month attempting to get visas from the Indian government, making multiple requests and appeals before eventually getting approval. This comes after taking part in two friendly matches against Maldives earlier this month which they won narrowly by 1-0 scorelines.

While their travel itinerary is still uncertain, Pakistan are set to become one of eight teams to take part in the tournament which will be held in Kolkata, India. The other seven teams include Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Maldives.

Pakistan are no strangers to the tournament having won it on two occasions before (in 2005 and 2008). This year they will be looking to add a third title under their belt and thus become the most successful team in SAFF Football Championship history.

To reach this point though Pakistan must first face world champions India who boast some of the best players from across Asia and beyond. It promises to be an exciting match between two nations eying glory at the tournament.

The match is due to kick-off at 7:30 PM local time with Pakistan’s aim to make it out of the group stages and into the semis. Despite their long wait for visas, it seems the team is in high spirits and ready to take on this challenge.