Should SAFF be an U-23 tournament?

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Whipping boys, obscure dots and minnows are the commonly used labels for the nations competing in the SAFF (South Asian Football Federation) Cup.

As the competition readies for its 11th final on Sunday, it is time to take stock of its relevance. How has it helped improve the game in the region? Coaches of the seven participating teams are divided on the matter.

PAST ITS SHELF LIFE India coach Stephen Constantine opines it should be an under-23 tournament. “I think the concept of SAFF is very solid and it’s necessary for the region to have this competition. If it’s down to me, I will make it an under-23 competition to give youngsters an opportunity. As a senior tournament it has passed its shelf life,” Constantine told HT.

The Englishman further wants India to join the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF), SAFF’S counterpart in Southeast Asia which has Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore and Australia among their 12 members, most of them ranked higher than India.

SWAPPING ASSOCIATIONS Afghanistan, the SAFF Cup defending champions, have done something similar. For want of better competition, they have opted to compete in the newlyformed Central Asian Football Association which features Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, all ranked higher than them.

“We want to get another opportunity to see and learn from other opponents and provide better opportunities for our younger players. We are not against this tournament but we are moving away to build a good future for Afghanistan football,” said their coach Petar Segrt.

GETTING EXPOSURE

Teams such as Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, however, feel the SAFF Cup gives their players international exposure and shouldn’t be changed to an under-23 championship.

“I think it’s important to have a quality championship for the region. All countries should aspire to put best teams in the tournament. There are plenty of opportunities globally where you can test young players,” said Maldives coach Ricki Herbert.

For Bhutan, who hardly get any international exposure, such tournaments help them gain experience. They didn’t play an international match for 18 months before their 2018 World Cup qualifier against Sri Lanka. They won both the legs

and made it to the group stage where they got the opportunity to play another eight games.

Coach Pema Dorji feels had they failed to get to the group stages they wouldn’t have been exposed to high-level competition. “SAFF Cup helps our players gain international experience. We don’t play many friendlies as well. So this tournament is very important for us,” said Dorji.

At the moment it’s a divided house.