The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has been forced to cancel the Indian national team’s international friendly which was scheduled against Palestine on October 9 at the Kanchenjunga Stadium, Siliguri, West Bengal. However, the first international friendly on October 6 will be played as scheduled.
The AIFF have been intimated by the Palestine Football Federation that as they have already committed their availability to the Pakistan Football Federation to play another international friendly against Pakistan in the same FIFA Window, they are not in a position to play the second international friendly against India on October 9.
As per the FIFA International Friendly Regulations, a country cannot play more than two international friendlies in a FIFA Window. The FIFA dates in October run from October 6-14, 2014.
It was in August 2014 that the Palestine Football Federation had signed an agreement with the AIFF confirming their availability to play back to back international friendlies against India in October 2014; the result of which the AIFF had to turn down Malaysia Football Federation’s request to play an international friendly on October 9, 2014.
The match on October 6 kicks-off at 17.30 IST.
(Report & Picture courtesy AIFF Media)