Bangladesh were drawn against defending champions Afghanistan in Group B of the 11th SAFF Championship, scheduled to be held from December 23 to January 3, 2016 in the Indian city of Kerala.
The draw for the tournament, which is officially known as the SAFF Suzuki Cup 2015, was held in New Delhi on Wednesday in the presence of SAFF secretary general Anowarul Haque Helal.
Bangladesh’s other two opponents in the Group B were – last edition’s semi-finalists Maldives and Bhutan.
Last edition’s runners-up India were pitted with Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the Group A.
Bangladesh will start their campaign on December 24 against holders Afghanistan before facing Maldives and Bhutan on December 26 and 28 respectively.
In the opening day of the tournament, Nepal will take on Sri Lanka in the first match before the hosts India face Pakistan in the day’s second match.
The semi-finals of the tournament will be held on December 31 while the final is scheduled on January 3.
All the matches of the tournament will be played at Kerala’s Sports Trivandrum Stadium.
In the last edition of the tournament held in Kathmandu, Nepal in 2013, Bangladesh were eliminated from the group stage without managing a single win.
Bangladesh’s matches:
Dec 24 v Afghanistan
Dec 26 v Maldives
Dec 28 v Bhutan
-With New Age input
