The report claimed that although the All India Football Federation (AIFF) were looking to organise a match against Cape Verde ahead of the much-anticipated Brazil clash, no agreement was reached between the two parties.
India are unlikely to face Cape Verde in a football friendly match during the September-October FIFA international window, according to a report by Times Now . Sources close to the development told the publication that it is highly likely that the proposed friendly match will not happen after both parties failed to reach an agreement on the “commercial side”.
Meanwhile, India will host Panama in an international friendly on September 26 during the FIFA men’s international window, with the venue for the match to be announced later, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) said on Tuesday.
“It is due to both parties not reaching an agreement on the commercial side,” the source said.
“Playing against Panama will be a tough battle ahead of the Brazil game. “We are looking forward to our players getting the right exposure, and we normally don’t get to play such World Cup teams. So it’s a good FIFA window for us, where we are playing such tough teams,” he added.
Panama are a top-50 team in the world, and it will be a good test for Khalid Jamil’s boys,” AIFF Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan said.
India’s Upcoming Challenges Against World Cup Teams
India’s national football team is set to face Panama in their first-ever encounter. This match marks the ninth different CONCACAF opponent India has faced to date. Panama, currently ranked 44th in the FIFA standings, competed in the 2026 World Cup, presenting a significant challenge for coach Khalid Jamil’s squad.
This match is the first of four scheduled fixtures for India against teams that participated in the recent World Cup. Following the clash with Panama, the Blue Tigers will take on Brazil on October 3, and they have two matches lined up against New Zealand on November 12 and 15.
