The Indian national team has been drawn into Group A of the SAFF Cup 2011. The draw ceremony took place at the Le Meridien Hotel in New Delhi earlier today.

The draw ceremony was attended by host of dignitaries including AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das, SAFF General Secretary Alberto Colaco and Maldives Football Association General Secretary Shah Ismial.

AIFF President Praful Patel in his address said: “It is a great pleasure to host the SAFF Championship in New Delhi once again. This time the championship will be held at the world class Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium which is now being developed as a football hub as part of the legacy plan of the Ministry of Sports, Government of India. I wish all the participating countries the very best and hope to see a very competitive tournament.”

While speaking at the occasion AIFF General Secretary Mr. Kushal Das said “SAFF Championship would not only help in development of football in the region but also help in fostering goodwill and mutual cooperation among the nations.”

He also thanked Union Government and the Union Sports Minister Ajay Maken for all the help accorded to host such a prestigious tournament at the newly build Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

.

GROUPS

Group A
India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Afghanistan

03-Dec-2011: India – Afghanistan
03-Dec-2011: Sri Lanka – Bhutan
05-Dec-2011: India – Bhutan
05-Dec-2011: Sri Lanka – Afghanistan
07-Dec-2011: India – Sri Lanka
07-Dec-2011: Afghanistan – Bhutan

Group B
Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan

02-Dec-2011: Maldives – Nepal
02-Dec-2011: Bangladesh – Pakistan
04-Dec-2011: Maldives – Pakistan
04-Dec-2011: Bangladesh – Nepal
06-Dec-2011: Maldives – Bangladesh
06-Dec-2011: Nepal – Pakistan

.

Knock-Out Stage

Semifinals
09-Dec-2011: Winner Group A vs Runner-up Group B
09-Dec-2011: Winner Group B vs Runner-up Group A

Final
11-Dec-2011: Winner Semifinal 1 vs Winner Semifinal 2