The Indian men’s senior national team have been slotted in Group A in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship, which is scheduled to take place from June 21 to July 23 this year.

The Blue Tigers are the highest FIFA-ranked team in their group (101) followed by Kuwait (143), Nepal (174), and Pakistan (195). Group B, on the other hand, features Lebanon (99), Maldives (154), Bhutan (185), and Bangladesh (192).

This will be the 13th edition of the tournament and defending champions India will play hosts for the fourth time, with all matches set to be played in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

The competition will comprise of five nations from the South Asian Football Federation. Kuwait and Lebanon, two nations from outside the South Asian region, were invited as guest teams. These two groups from the SAFF Championship 2023 will compete in round-robin matches, with the top two teams from both groups advancing to the semi-finals.

In the latest edition of the tournament held back in 2021, the Blue Tigers reigned supreme, clinching their eighth silverware of this tournament after beating Nepal 3-0 in the final.