India is all set to host the 14th SAFF Championship at Bengaluru in 2023. Initially Sri Lanka were about to host the competition but since they were suspended by FIFA, SAFF had to shift the hosting rights to India and the centralised venue was declared to be Bengaluru. This will be the third consecutive competition to be hosted by India in 2023 as they have already hosted the Hero Tri Nation series and the Hero Intercontinental Cup in the preparation to their upcoming venture in the AFC Asian Cup. The SAFF Championship 2023 is all set to commence from June 21, Wednesday. Meanwhile, fans eager to know when India will play Pakistan in the SAFF Championship 2023, will get the complete information here. India vs Pakistan Football Match in SAFF Championship 2023: From Sunil Chhetri to Brandon Fernandes, 5 Indian Players To Watch Out For.
India are the defending champions of the SAFF Championship. They defeated Nepal in the final of the last edition and were declared the winners. This time there are eight participants, including two invited teams in Lebanon and Kuwait. The teams are divided in two groups who will go through a round-robin stage first and then the top two will qualify for the semifinals. Pakistan is making a comeback in the SAFF championship after they came out of their and are drafted with India in group A alongside Kuwait and Nepal. It is a tough group and qualifying from the Group A is going to be a real challenge.
When is India vs Pakistan SAFF Championship 2023 Match? Know Details of IND vs PAK Football Match in IST
India will face Pakistan in their Group A match on the opening day of the tournament. The match will be hosted by Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on June 21, Wednesday and has a start time of 7:30 PM IST (Indian Standard Time). Both teams have last faced each other in the SAFF Championship in 2018, the match which India won comfortably by a margin of 3-1 thanks to goals from Manveer Singh and Sumit Passi. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Announces Cash Prize of Rs 1 Crore For Members of Intercontinental Cup 2023 Champion Indian Football Team.
Pakistan missed the last edition of the SAFF Championship in 2021 for being suspended by FIFA. According to records, they have faced India 24 times in the past starting from 1959 and won only thrice. India will be entering the competition on the back of two consecutive victories in two competitions and start as favourites in this game.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 18, 2023 11:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).