SAFF Championship: Nepal in Group A with India

KATHMANDU , JUL 30 -
The official draw for the upcoming South Asian Football Federation ( SAFF ) Championship was announced at Soaltee Hotel in the Capital on Tuesday.

Nepal has been drawn alongside defending champion India, Bangladesh and Pakistan in the Group A of the competition to be held from September 1-11 in Kathmandu. Afghanistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Bhutan are pooled in the other group.

India will play Pakistan in inaugural match of the competition while hosts Nepal will take on Bangladesh later on the same day. India is the most successful country in the championship winning it for six times.

The winner of the competition will bag US $50,000 while the second runner up will receive $25,000. The third and the fourth team will get $10,000 each.

SAFF President Kazi Salahuddin, National Sports Council member-secretary Yuba Raj Lama and All Nepal Football Association Chairman Ganesh Thapa were present in the draw ceremony.

This is the second time Nepal has hosted the championship. Nepal had hosted the competition previously in 1997.

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