Xtra Time Web Desk: India will kick start its campaign in the upcoming SAFF Championship 2021 against old foes Bangladesh in Maldives on October 3. The tournament is finally being held with just five teams. The tournament was originally supposed to take place in Dhaka in 2020, has to be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The final will take place on October 13.
The upcoming edition of SAFF Championships will see the participation of India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Maldives. The teams will play each other in a single leg round robin format and the two teams with most points will progress to the grand finale.
The South Asian Football Federation explored multiple venues before deciding on Maldives to host the event. Maldives is currently hosting the Group D matches of AFC Cup 2021. Since they already have the COVID-safety infrastructure in place, hosting another tournament will be relatively easy for them.
India’s matches in the SAFF Championship are as follows…
October 03 India vs Bangladesh
October 06 India vs Sri Lanka
October 08 India vs Nepal
October 11 India vs Maldives