Credit: Twitter
The 2023 SAFF Championship is set to be held in Bangalore between June and July and the two groups for the tournament have been revealed on Wednesday, May 17. India are placed into the Group A of the tournament alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, Kuwait, and Nepal. The Blue Tigers are considered favorites for the competition as they are the most successful team in the competition.
While Lebanon is the highest-ranked nation at 99, host India is the second-highest with a 101 FIFA ranking followed by Kuwait (143), Nepal (154), and Pakistan (195).
India have won the championship eight times which is six more than any team. In 2018, India beat Pakistan in the semi-final but lost 2-1 against Maldives in the finals which gave them their first title. Pakistan was sanctioned by FIFA so they couldn’t participate in the 2021 Championships as India beat Nepal 3-0 in the 2021 final.
Lebanon will make its first appearance in the competition and will face Maldives, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. Being the highest-ranked team, they will look to dominate in Group B. The tournament is going to have eight teams this year, three more than the last time when it was held in 2021.
S AFF Championship 2023 Draw:
- Group A - India, Kuwait, Nepal, and Pakistan
- Group B - Lebanon, Maldives, Bhutan, and Bangladesh
