The Indian football team is all set to take on rivals Pakistan in their opening game of the SAFF Championship 2023.
The Blue Tigers have been drawn in Group A alongside Pakistan, Nepal and debutants Kuwait. Group B consists of Maldives, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Lebanon.
When and where is the SAFF Championship 2023 being held?
The SAFF Championship 2023 will be held in Bengaluru, India with Shree Kanteerava Stadium hosting all the games.
The 14th edition of the tournament kick-off on June 21 and the group stage will run until June 28. The semi-finals will be held on July 1 while the final will take place on July 4.
Sri Lanka had initially shown interest in hosting the upcoming edition of the competition but after FIFA suspended them in January 2023, India were selected as the host nation.
Two nations, Lebanon and Kuwait will be participating in the tournament for the first time in history. Lebanon, who are ranked two places above India in the latest FIFA rankings are the highest-ranked team in the tournament.
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How have India performed at the SAFF Championship?
India are the most decorated team in the history of the competition winning it a record eight times. They last won the title in 2021 beating Nepal in the final. They have also reached the final of the tournament on 12 occasions.
India are followed by Maldives who have two titles to their name while Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka have won the trophy once each.
When did India last meet Pakistan in SAFF Championship?
The last time India faced rivals Pakistan in the SAFF Championship was in 2018 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The two sides met in the semi-final where India comfortably won 3-1. They eventually went on to lose 1-2 in the final against Maldives.
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