The Maldives has been placed in Group A for the upcoming SAFF U-20 Championship. The official draw to determine the group placements for the participating nations was conducted on Sunday.
A total of seven nations are set to compete in this year’s tournament. Alongside the Maldives, the participating teams include India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka.
The tournament format will feature a group stage where the seven teams are divided into two groups. Group A consists of four teams, while Group B will comprise three teams.
The Maldives is joined in Group A by Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, Group B features the defending champions India, along with Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The Maldives will serve as the host nation for this edition of the championship. The SAFF U-20 Championship is scheduled to take place from March 22 to April 3.
The Maldives has an extensive history of hosting prestigious international football tournaments. Notable past events include co-hosting the SAFF Championship with Sri Lanka in 2008 and solo hosting the tournament in 2021.
This event marks the first time since 2019 that the Maldives will host an international youth tournament. The last such event was the UEFA Assist U-15 Tournament, which was held in Addu City in July 2019.
