The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has issued a clarification regarding the sudden withdrawal of six Mohun Bagan Super Giant players from the Indian national team camp just hours before the team was scheduled to depart for London to participate in the four-nation Unity Cup. According to the AIFF, Mohun Bagan had initially cooperated fully with the biometric visa process, but made a last-minute U-turn, leaving coach Khalid Jamil with only 18 players.
Background of the Incident
Midfielder Apuia was already ruled out due to injury. The six Mohun Bagan players had joined the national team camp in Bengaluru but were instructed by their club not to attend training on Saturday. Instead, they were told to pack their bags and return home, disrupting the team's preparations.
AIFF's Statement
AIFF deputy secretary general M Satyanarayan released a statement on Sunday detailing the federation's efforts to ensure club cooperation. He stated that the AIFF had written four letters to all clubs since April 10 regarding India's participation in the Unity Cup in London. The dates of the event were mentioned in all subsequent letters, along with the dates for biometric tests for players, which were fixed as per the club's convenience.
"Mohun Bagan players attended the biometric test. Obviously, this was done with the club's knowledge as we had written to them," Satyanarayan said. The AIFF also sent two more emails regarding event details to all clubs. According to the federation, Mohun Bagan did not respond to these communications until the night of May 20, when the AIFF received an email from Mohun Bagan Super Giant stating that their players would be released only during the FIFA window and that the AIFF may coordinate with the players accordingly.
Players' Involvement
Satyanarayan detailed how the players ended up joining the national team camp on Friday. The players contacted Velu, the national team manager, and informed him that they had approached the club management, who agreed to them joining the camp. Consequently, the six players joined the camp on May 22 and participated in a recovery session in the evening.
However, the next morning, the club issued an order via the players' WhatsApp group instructing them not to join the national team for their evening training session. The club stated that the players were not allowed to play outside the FIFA International Window. Some players were reportedly emotional as they had to make arrangements to leave the camp.
Upcoming Matches
India is scheduled to face Jamaica on May 27, while Nigeria will take on Zimbabwe on May 26 in the Unity Cup. The winners of these matches will contest the final on May 30, with the losing sides playing for third place. The official FIFA international match window is from June 1 to June 9. According to the organizers, the Unity Cup 2026 has received official FIFA authorization as a Tier 1 international competition, with the governing body issuing the letter on Friday.
