Days before the opening match of the CAFA Nations Cup against Tajikistan on August 29, the Indian football team found itself in the middle of a travel nightmare. Delayed flights and split itineraries left the squad scattered across two batches. They had to endure over 30 hours of travel time before reaching Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
According to Khel Now, the first group of players departed Bengaluru at 4 am on August 26. Instead of being flown directly to Dubai, the squad was routed through Delhi. Adverse weather conditions in north India further complicated the itinerary, forcing the team into a layover in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The batch is now waiting for a connecting flight to Dushanbe and is only expected to check into their hotel close to midnight local time.
The second batch of players left Bengaluru later in the day, around 9 am, and was also routed through Delhi before being flown onward to Dubai. From there, the group will connect to Dushanbe. By the time both contingents arrive, the players would have clocked nearly 36 hours of travel.
This chaotic schedule means India will lose valuable training time. August 27, two days before the match, was supposed to be dedicated to rest and full training. Instead, the team will be restricted to only a single technical session possibly on August 28 — the eve of the first clash. Match fitness remains a major concern, particularly with players already lacking sharpness due to the limited domestic football calendar.
This is not the first time such issues have occurred. The men’s team had reached Hangzhou in China for the Asian Games 2023 just a day before their opening match against China. The players only checked into their hotel past midnight.
India are in Group B of the CAFA Nations Cup, where they will face a tough challenge against Tajikistan, defending champions Iran and Afghanistan. India’s campaign kicks off on August 29 at 9:00 pm IST against Tajikistan, followed by the clash with Iran on September 1 at 5:30 pm IST, before wrapping up the group stage against Afghanistan on September 4 at 5:30 pm IST.
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