Hosts India have been drawn in Group A of the SAFF Championship 2023, together with Kuwait, Nepal, and Pakistan, within the official draw ceremony that was performed, on Wednesday. The draw was performed in presence of All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey, South Asian Football Federation General Secretary Anwarul Huq, and AIFF Secretary General Dr Shaji Prabhakaran.
The two nations have been struggling to agree on whether or not their cricket groups will journey to Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023. There continues to be no affirmation on whether or not India and Pakistan will face different in Pakistan within the Asia Cup or whether or not Pakistan will come to India for the ODI World Cup.
Lebanon and Kuwait are the 2 groups from exterior the South Asian area, who’re taking part by dint of particular invitation. Eight groups are set to struggle it out for South Asian supremacy in Bengaluru, because the match is about to get underway on June 21, with the ultimate on July 4 in Bengaluru.
India, being the hosts, have been routinely positioned atop Group A, with Kuwait, Nepal, and Pakistan drawn into the group later. Over in Group B, Lebanon, being the best ranked staff, have been routinely positioned on the high of the group, with the Maldives, Bhutan, and Bangladesh.
The Draw for the #SAFFChampionship2023Â is finished, and this is how issues standÂ
Watch the put up draw Media Interactions right here  https://t.co/VsUbq9eR0p#IndianFootball  pic.twitter.com/BwMkjfTkKT
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) May 17, 2023
“I would like to convey my deep gratitude to the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) for acquiescing to our request of inviting more countries from outside the South Asian region to participate in this Championship. I feel that the addition of Kuwait and Lebanon will help make the Championship more competitive, and I am deeply thankful to the SAFF for taking our recommendation into consideration,” stated Chaubey, at the beginning of the draw ceremony.
“Our effort stays to mess around 20-25 high quality matches, and we now have already seen that course of start with the Tri-Nation Cup in Imphal. Now, our staff can even play the Hero Intercontinental Cup in Bhubaneswar, adopted by the SAFF Championship in Bengaluru. They are additionally set to play the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia and the King`s Cup in Thailand later this 12 months.
Bengaluru is the capital metropolis of the Santosh Trophy champions, and it has wonderful services. It is our hope that extra followers come to assist our staff in Bengaluru, and push the boys ahead,” he added.
On the opposite hand, SAFF General Secretary Anwarul Huq known as SAFF, an envoy for regional unity and sporting excellence.
“On behalf of SAFF, it is my honour and privilege to welcome everyone to Delhi for the official draw Ceremony. Today, we witness the beginning of the journey that unites nations. The SAFF has been an ambassador for regional unity and sporting excellence, and we are happy to bring all countries together, fostering brotherhood, cultural togetherness, and the power of hope to transcend boundaries,” stated Huq.
“Today marks 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. Let`s all come together as a region united by the joy of football,” he added.
Meanwhile, AIFF Secretary General Prabhakaran stated that the addition of Lebanon and Kuwait wll add to the competitiveness of the match.
“With Lebanon and Kuwait being added to the SAFF Championship, the competitiveness of the tournament is set to be elevated further, and it would also help 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 do well and be champions this time too,” he stated.
India head coach Igor Stimac reiterated that the competitiveness of the Championship will probably be larger with the addition of the 2 groups from the Middle East.
“We are very happy to host the SAFF tournament, and as such, we need to behave and act as the favourites to win it. We also welcome Kuwait and Lebanon as guests, participants and hope they will enjoy their stay in India and the tournament itself. Playing against them should help us in our preparations for the AFC Cup and our boys are really excited, and determined to do well,” stated Stimac.
“A long duration camp was always something we were insisting on and we are going to use it to improve certain parts of our game, work more on mental strength and passing confidence,” he added. (Manchester City vs Real Madrid UEFA Champions League Match LIVE Streaming Details: When And Where To Watch RMA vs MNC 2023 Semifinal Match Online And On TV In India?)
The SAFF Championship 2023 will get underway on June 21, with Kuwait taking over Nepal in Bengaluru, adopted by the match between India and Pakistan later in the identical day.
Group B motion will get underway on June 22, with Lebanon taking over Bangladesh within the first match of the day, whereas Maldives play Bhutan after that.
The two groups from every group will enter the semi-finals, which will probably be performed on July 1, whereas the ultimate will probably be performed on July 4. (With IANS inputs)
