India coach Naushad Moosa has named hosts Bangladesh the favourites for the SAFF Championship, said he hopes to meet them in the final, and insisted his side are in Dhaka to chase a record 10th title.

He spoke at the airport on November 3.

“If you see, Bangladesh are the strongest team in the tournament right now. I don't know when I will meet them, but I hope to see them in the final.”

“Our aim whenever we come to compete in the SAFF Championship is to win it. We also want to display good football", he said.

India, nine-time champions, last won in Bengaluru in 2023, beating Kuwait in the final. Moosa, the Under-23 coach, has replaced senior coach Khalid Jamil for this event, leading a young squad in which most of the 28 players are Under-23.

The senior side play two friendlies against New Zealand over the same dates, and the Indian Super League is continuing, so Moosa will not have every selected player for the opener. Players from 10 clubs are unavailable, since some ISL teams play after November 5.

He admitted the challenge but backed the group he has.

“Indian Super League (ISL) has been going on since October, and I could not get players from those clubs for the first match. That is a challenge. But even without them, we are still a strong team.”

History suggests India cannot be written off. They also brought an Under-23 side to Dhaka in 2009, beat Bangladesh 1-0 in the semi-final, then beat the Maldives 3-1 on penalties in the final, proving they can win without their star names.

Their nine titles came in 1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2021 and 2023, more than any other nation, and a tenth would extend that record. Bangladesh’s only title came on home soil in 2003.

Bangladesh are unbeaten in their last two meetings with India, winning 1-0 in an AFC Asian Cup qualifier in Dhaka on November 18, 2025, after a goalless draw in India in March 2025. They also lost the 2023 semi-final to Kuwait.

India meet Pakistan at 3:30pm at the National Stadium in the opening match on Thursday.

Moosa acknowledged Pakistan’s physical strength but said his team had a plan to counter them.

“Pakistan are a good team. They are physically strong, but we have a plan and will play accordingly.”

Bangladesh open against Bhutan at 8pm on the same day.

Coach Thomas Dooley oversaw a training session at Bashundhara ABG Sports Ground on Tuesday, while Sri Lanka also arrived in Dhaka ahead of the tournament.