NEW DELHI (SW): The Asian Football Council (AFC) has announced schedule for the 2015 South Asian Championship (SAC) in which Afghanistan would defend its title.
The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) has said a total of eight teams divided in two groups would compete for the title. In Group A, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Nepal would compete. India would host the tournament that would commence on December 23 and would continue till 6 January.
Despite the fact that the AFC has moved Afghanistan from South Asian Zone to the Central Asian Zone, the AFC has acknowledged Afghanistan’s request to play the tournament.
Champion Afghanistan has been placed in Group B with Bangladesh, Maldives and Bhutan. The defending champion would play its first match in the event on 24 August against Bangladesh. Earlier this year, both sides faced each other in a friendly encounter that ended in 1-1 draw.
Afghanistan won the SAC in 2013 by defeating defending champion India in the final. India has so far won this event five times followed by one time each by Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives. Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan have failed to won this event so far.
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