The draw for 2015 SAFF Suzuki Cup has been announced and Host India have been drawn in Group A which also has Sri Lanka and Nepal along with the Arch Rivals Pakistan. The other group will see Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Maldives and Bhutan taking on each other. Top two teams from each group will make it to the knock out stages.
India, who have won the Championship 6 times, most by any country, will be hoping to put behind their abysmal performance in FIFA World Cup Qualifier, where they have lost three matches on a trot, and try to land their hands on the Silverware for the 7th time.
This will be the 9th Edition of the Championship and will start on 23rd December with all the matches being played at The Sports Hub, Thiruvananthpuram, that recently hosted the opening and closing ceremony of 35th National Games. This will be a great opportunity for the football crazy state to enjoy some quality football in their own backyard.
Afghanistan are the defending Champions, having won the Trophy in 2013 held in Nepal, by beating India in the finals. Though they migrated to Central Asia Football Federation in 2014, they will participate in the tournament as guest entry. They are currently 130 on FIFA rankings, highest among participating nations and would start as favorites.
The Format of SAFF Cup is pretty straightforward, with 8 teams divided into two groups of four. The first round will be Round Robin, with top two teams from each group making it to the Semi-Finals and the Winner will be decided in Final on 3rd January 2016.
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