Bangladesh and India Drawn into Separate Groups in the SAFF Championship

For the 2026 SAFF Championship, hosts Bangladesh have been placed in Group ‘A’ along with Sri Lanka and Bhutan. On the other hand, regional powerhouse India is the top team in Group ‘B’ along with Maldives and Pakistan.

The draw was held in Thimphu, Bhutan on Saturday. Bangladesh, as the hosts, were placed in one pot, while India, as the highest-ranked team in South Asia, were seeded separately. As a result, there was no chance of the two teams facing each other in the group stage.

However, Nepal is absent from the draw due to its suspension by FIFA. SAFF said it will wait until the final deadline before making a final decision. If FIFA lifts the ban in time, Nepal will join Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan in Group ‘A’.

The tournament will be held in Dhaka from November 4 to 17. Bangladesh last hosted the SAFF Championship in 2018.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals.

Group ‘A’: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka

Group ‘B’: India, Maldives, Pakistan