SAFF Championship: Nepal under pressure to beat India

KATHMANDU: Nepal is facing India in South Asia’s largest football event, the SAFF Championship. The match will begin at 7:45 p.m. Nepali time at Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, India.

Nepal had a poor start to the competition, losing 3-1 against Kuwait in the opening match. Similarly, India began winning by defeating Pakistan 4-0 in the opening encounter.

Nepal and India have played 23 matches thus far. So far, India has won 16 matches, while Nepal has won only two. Similarly, 5 games have ended in a tie.

8 countries are participating in this SAFF Championship. SAFF Countries Sri Lanka will not play in this tournament as they are suspended by FIFA. Group A includes India, Kuwait and Pakistan along with Nepal. Similarly, Group B includes Lebanon, Maldives, Bhutan and Bangladesh. The top two countries in both groups will advance to the semi-finals.

Previously, the 13th SAFF was held in the Maldives in 2021. Nepal created history by making it to the finals for the first time. However, they were defeated by India in the title match. Nepal has previously been eliminated from the semi-finals in 2011, 2013, and 2018.

Nepal has yet to claim the SAFF Championship. India has won the championship the most times, with eight, followed by the Maldives with two, and Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka with one apiece.