India rode on an incredible Sunil Chhetri hat-trick to rout Pakistan 4-0 in their 2023 SAFF Championship opener at the Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru on Wednesday evening.
The hosts recorded their 14th win against their arch-rivals in 27 meetings.
However, Pakistan coach Torben Witajewski blamed the defeat on logistical and travel issues his side faced before the contest.
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Pakistan coach cites visa issues
Speaking to Hindustan Times after the game, Witajewski suggested that the Pakistani players received their visas late and reached India only a few hours before the match.
He stated that if the team had more time to prepare, the result could have been different and they may not have suffered such a heavy defeat:
"The problem about the travel was we received the visa very late and a lot of problems in Mumbai at the airport with the immigration. So it was tough for the guys. The last group arrived at half past one in the hotel today (Wednesday). After 16 hours, right. So this is not easy, it's very tough but you have to cope with the situation. You cannot change it," said Witajewski.
"For sure, we couldn't change the situation, the problem is the visa. So we had a lot of problems in Mauritius. So it was not easy, but we cannot change. But if we had more time the performance would be different. If you travel through the night, the players cannot sleep. We arrived today at half past one, it's not good preparation for a match. We cannot expect a lot from the guys."
India and Pakistan have been drawn in Group A, along with Kuwait and Nepal, at the 2023 SAFF Championships. India will take on Nepal in the next group game on Saturday.
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