Panama coach Thomas Christiansen cites Bengaluru traffic and logistics after 1-1 friendly draw with India
Panama coach Thomas Christiansen blamed Bengaluru traffic and complicated logistics after his side surrendered a 1-1 lead to draw with India in a friendly at Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on September 25, 2026. Christiansen accepted responsibility for the result and pointed out that five players made their first senior starts as part of a generational transition.
Speaking at the post-match press conference at Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Christiansen said Panama had not had sufficient time to train together because of travel and logistical issues and that the team’s journey to the stadium on matchday took around two hours in Bengaluru traffic. He added, "A generational change is not easy. Five players got their first start today. The result is my fault. We didn’t have time to work, to train, because of the travel and logistics. But I’m happy to see them start with five debutants. We have to learn from this experience." The squad’s final pre-match session was held on September 24 after training at the Centre for Sports Excellence Phase 3 in Bettahalasuru, while the team were based at the Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel.
Christiansen stressed the impact of the matchday transfer, noting the hotel sits about 3-4 km from the stadium but that the short distance became a two-hour bus journey because of traffic. "I don’t want this to sound like an excuse, but it is not easy to be in a bus for two hours in traffic to get to the stadium. The logistics and the travel here were also complicated. We have to be smarter when we sign these agreements again. I don’t want this to sound like an excuse, but we have to be careful with how we handle things inside and outside the pitch because our players deserve better," he said.
On the field, India took the lead in the 41st minute when Ryan Williams finished after Akash Mishra played a diagonal pass, capping a first half in which India grew into the contest and forced Panama into mistakes. Christiansen conceded his side were disjointed in periods: "We were a little bit disorganised. That also gave India the possibility, when they recovered the ball, to go and attack because we were so spread out and our lines were too far apart. That was one of the main reasons why we didn’t come really well into the game." Indian defenders Tekcham Singh, Anwar Ali and Bijoy Varghese were cited as managing Panama’s forward movement at various stages.
Panama responded in the second half when Omar Javier Valencia struck a long-range equaliser in the 68th minute, after which the visitors gained more control but India continued to press and came close through Edmund Lalrindika from an Ashique Kuruniyan cross. Christiansen warned about India’s quality up front, saying: "If you give them space and time, they can do whatever they want because they have some very good-quality players. They made it difficult for us, especially in our defensive line, with the second striker they had up front. It was difficult to manage that."
The five players who made their senior international starts for Panama were Marcos De Leon, Jair Modelo, Joseph Jones, Daivis Murillo and Mijahir Jimenez. Panama had included 14 players from their 2026 World Cup squad in the touring group and had 12 World Cup participants in the matchday group, while Christiansen acknowledged the preparation had been complicated and that India exploited moments when Panama lost their shape.
Panama will continue their Asian tour against New Zealand in Yokohama on October 1 before facing either Japan or Ecuador in Tokyo on October 5. India move on to fixtures against Brazil on October 3 and Uruguay on October 6, with both matches scheduled to be played in Kolkata.