Aizawl FC's star defender Masih Saighani is set to miss his side's I-League match against Neroca FC on February 10 as he was asked to leave Manipur after arriving here without a Protected Area Permit (PAP) required for Afghan nationals to enter the state.
"One of our players -- Saighani -- was not allowed to enter as he was not carrying the PAP, which is required for people from Afghanistan, China and Pakistan to enter Manipur," said Aizawl FC owner and president Robert Royte.
The 31-year-old Saighani landed here yesterday with his team and he was initially not allowed to leave the airport and enter Imphal city. But, after the intervention of Neroca FC owner, he was allowed to spend the night at the team hotel on special permission. He left Imphal this morning.
"He has now been sent back to Guwahati and is currently there. We did apply for the permit but since time is limited, he is unlikely to be part of the squad for our next game," Royte added.
Aizawl FC are currently at sixth position in the league table with 16 points from 12 games while Neroca are placed second with 27 points from 14 matches.
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