Hosts India were placed in Group A of the SAFF Championship 2023 along with Kuwait, Nepal and Pakistan at the official draw ceremony held on Wednesday. The draw was conducted in the presence of All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Choubey, South Asian Football Federation General Secretary Anwarul Haque and AIFF General Secretary Dr Shaji Prabhakaran.
Both the countries are struggling to agree on whether their cricket teams will travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023. There is still no confirmation whether India and Pakistan will face off in the Asia Cup in Pakistan or whether Pakistan will come to India for it. ODI World Cup.
Lebanon and Kuwait are the two teams from outside the South Asian region, participating on a special invitation basis. Eight teams are set to battle it out for South Asian supremacy in Bengaluru as the tournament is set to begin on June 21, with the final taking place in Bengaluru on July 4.
India, being the hosts, were automatically placed in Group A, with Kuwait, Nepal and Pakistan drawn later. In Group B, Lebanon, being the highest ranked team, was automatically placed at the top of the group along with Maldives, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
draw for #SAFFChampionship2023 done, and here’s how things are
View post draw media interaction here https://t.co/VsUbq9eR0p#IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/BwMkjfTkKT– Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) May 17, 2023
“I would like to express our deep gratitude to the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) for accepting our request to invite more countries from outside the South Asian region to participate in this championship. I think Kuwait And including Lebanon would help.” “I am very grateful to SAFF for taking our recommendation into consideration, and for making the championship more competitive,” Choubey said at the start of the draw ceremony.
“Our endeavor is to play around 20-25 quality matches, and we have already seen that process begin with the Tri-Nation Cup in Imphal. Now, our team will also play the Hero Intercontinental Cup in Bhubaneswar, followed by The SAFF Championship will be held in Bengaluru. They are also set to play the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia and the King’s Cup in Thailand later this year.
Bengaluru is the capital city of the Santosh Trophy champions, and has excellent facilities. We hope more fans come to Bengaluru to support our team and keep the boys going.”
On the other hand, SAFF Secretary General Anwarul Haque called SAFF an ambassador for regional unity and sporting excellence.
“On behalf of SAFF, it is my honor and privilege to welcome everyone to Delhi for the official draw ceremony. Today, we witness the beginning of a journey that unites the nations. SAFF is a foundation for regional unity and sporting excellence. Ambassador, and we are happy to bring all countries together, promoting brotherhood, cultural unity and the power of hope that transcends borders,” Haq said.
“Today is the first day towards this extraordinary tournament with teams from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan from South Asia, and also our two invitees Lebanon and Kuwait. Football joy,” he said.
Meanwhile, AIFF general secretary Prabhakaran said the addition of Lebanon and Kuwait will add to the competition in the tournament.
“With the inclusion of Lebanon and Kuwait in the SAFF Championship, the competitiveness of the tournament is set to increase further, and will also help in our preparations for the AFC Asian Cup. For us, retaining the SAFF Championship is also a focus , and we are sure that our team is better prepared than the last edition and our team will perform well and become champions this time also.”
India head coach Igor Stimac reiterated that the inclusion of two teams from the Middle East will make the championship more competitive.
“We are very happy to host the SAFF tournament, and as such, we need to behave and act as favorites to win it. We also welcome Kuwait and Lebanon as guests, participants and hope Hope they will enjoy their stay in India and the tournament.” Playing against them should help us in our preparations for the AFC Cup and our boys are really excited and determined to do well.”
“A long-term camp was always something we were pushing for and we are going to use it to improve certain parts of our game, work more on mental strength and build confidence,” he added. (Manchester City vs Real Madrid UEFA Champions League Match Live Streaming Details: When and Where to Watch RMA vs MNC 2023 Semi-Final Match Online and TV in India?)
The SAFF Championship 2023 begins on June 21, with Kuwait taking on Nepal in Bengaluru, followed by a match between India and Pakistan later the same day.
Group B action will begin on June 22, with Lebanon taking on Bangladesh in the first match of the day, while Maldives will then play Bhutan.
Two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, which will be played on July 1, while the final will be played on July 4. (With IANS inputs)