Extra attention on India-Pakistan SAFF Cup opener as handshake looms

There'll be extra attention on the pre- and post-game moments when archrivals India and Pakistan meet in the opening game of the South Asian Football Federation Cup.

Many tuning in Thursday will be wondering if the players will shake hands at the outset of the six-nation tournament being hosted in Bangladesh.

Soccer takes a backseat to cricket in this part of the world. And unlike cricket, the national football teams of India and Pakistan aren't superpowers in the global game.

Tension has been higher than usual in recent cricket encounters between the countries, with players not exchanging customary handshakes before or after international games. The soccer contest could be different.

“I think they will shake hands. This is football protocol that will be followed irrespective of the country,” Shaji Prabhakaran, former general secretary of the All India Football Federation, told The Associated Press. “That rivalry has not yet come into football.”

One reason is the lopsided nature of the soccer relationship, with India ranked No. 138 by FIFA and Pakistan at 197th.

“India has dominated but there is potential if Pakistan improves,” Prabhakaran said. “The local rivalry can come, it would be good and exciting.”

Pakistan has been calling up overseas-born talent such as Danish-born captain Abdullah Iqbal, who plays for Mjällby AIF in Sweden, and is aiming to reach the final of the regional tournament for the first time.

Pakistan coach Nolberto Solano is drawing on his experience of intense rivalries from his time as a Peru international and a decade in the Premier League.

“The rivalry between Peru and Chile is similar to that between Pakistan and India,” the former Newcastle United and Aston Villa winger said ahead of the game in Dhaka. “It carries the same intensity. I understand very well how important these matches are for the fans. We want to make people happy because we know what these games mean to them.”

The tournament is split into two groups of three, and the top two from each advance to the semifinals.

India and Pakistan are grouped with Maldives.

Bangladesh, coached by ex-U. S. international Thomas Dooley, is hoping to win a second title, especially as it has home advantage and has been grouped with Bhutan and Sri Lanka.

India, with three of the last four regional titles, would welcome more regional competition.

“There are some sentiments from fans that India should play at a higher level but showing your domination sends a message,” Prabhakaran said. “Other (SAFF) nations all fancy beating India and they all want India to be more active in the region.”

None of the South Asian teams qualified for the 24-team Asian Cup, which was this week pushed back from January to December next year because of the conflict in the Middle East.

Prabhakaran believes there is potential for soccer in South Asia to improve enough to match cricket for its following and passion among fans.

“Cricket shows the sporting passion in the region but football is the No. 1 sport in Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan,” he said. “Local football has to grow and India will benefit and can attract players from the region and send its players to other leagues if those leagues improve. It is in the interests of everyone and India has to take the lead.”

The coming weeks are a chance for India to show its strength.

“The South Asian Championship is like the Asian Cup for South Asian countries,” Prabhakaran said, “this is the one competition that they are able to engage to the maximum.”

See AP’s full soccer coverage here