Kathmandu, 29 July 2013:  Holders India have been drawn in the same group as hosts Nepal, former winners Bangladesh and old rivals Pakistan in the SAFF Championship to be staged in Kathmandu from September 1-11.

Group A, which was immediately dubbed the “Group of Death”, kicks off on September 1 with six-time champions India taking on Pakistan at the specially renovated Dashrath Stadium followed by Nepal against Bangladesh.

In the draw conducted in Kathmandu on Tuesday, 2011 runners up Afghanistan were matched with 2008 winners Maldives, Sri Lanka and Bhutan in Group B.

The first match in Group B will be contested between Afghanistan and Bhutan with Maldives up against Sri Lanka in the second game of the double header on September 2.

The top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals on September 8.

The biennial SAFF Championship is South Asia’s biggest football tournament with the 2011 final between India and Afghanistan attracting 30,000 spectators to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.

The full draw and schedule can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/OfficialSAFFChampionship.

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