Sri Lanka, Maldives to co-host SAFF C’ships

Bernard Perera

The South Asian Football Federation Championship is to be conducted jointly by Sri Lanka and Maldives from June 3rd to 14 in Colombo and Male. Eight South Asian countries India, Maldives, Pakistan and Nepal in Group’A’ and Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan and Sri Lanka are in Group’B’.

Group A matches are to take place at the National stadiumn in Male Maldives, while the Group B games are scheduled to be played At the Sugathadasa stadium in Colombo.

The two semifinals too are staged in these two venues with each runner up changing places to play their semifinal while the winner n Maldives will return to Colombo for the final show down on June 04 where closing ceremony too takes place.

The two host countries will get an opportunity to prove their capability in oganisational sphere and also the chance to show off their soccer power in the region.

On the opening day of the championshipin Male, Maldives the host in for the Group A take on Pakistan, while on the following day Sri Lanka the who host Group B meet Afghanistan at Sugathadasa stadium. India the giants in the region in size as well as soccer will come out for the championship hoping to retain the title for a further period.

India has also hold the record for the championship winning the same for four times. On the other hand Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Maldives are determined to give the defending champs a torrid time during the championship.

Sri Lanka won the title in 1996 in Colombo which was then known as South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation Gold Cup (SAARC Gold Cup).

The highly improved Sri Lanka team is looking forward to winning performance this year as they are with a slight advantage as they play on their home soil.

The Lankan team is led by newly appointed well experienced striker Chathura Maduranga Weerasinghe. He has the services of Sri Lanka’s Best striker Kasun Jayasuriya who too is packed with lot international experience.

Kasun has played first Class soccer for a Maldivian Club in their Premier League along with Chathura his skipper. The first Championship of this tournament was played in 1993 in Pakistan where India went away with the SAARC Gold Cup beating the host country.

But two years later saw a surprise when Sri Lanka outplayed the giants India one goal to nil in Colombo. The following two years was dominated by India winning two consecutive championships.

The championship India won for two years in succession which they lost to Sri Lanka came back in style to beat Maldives five goals to one in Kathmandu, Nepal to have the championship for third time.

The year 2003 saw Bangladesh host the tourney with success. They came up with this superlative performance not only by organizing the same but also went on to win the title beating India in the semi final and clinched the title defeating Maldives five goals to three in a penalty shoot out after leveling the score one all at the final whistle.

India once again came back to prove their superiority in 2005 where the tourney was staged in Pakistan beating the then defending champs Bangladesh two goals nil. The star in this game for India being Baichung Bhutia the most celebrated Indian soccerite who was also declared as the most valuable player. He has been doing the services for India to win the championship on three occasions.

The winners of the Championship will carry away a purse worth US $ 50,000. The South Asian Countries soccer fans are eagerly waiting for a well organized tourney and top class soccer fare in both venues.

The match schedule;

June 03 - Opening ceremony in Male, Maldives,

Maldives vs Pakistan, India vs Nepal, in Male

June 04 - Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan, Bangladesh vs Bhutan, in Colombo

June 05 - India vs Pakistan, Maldives vs Nepal in Male

June 06 - Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, Sri Lanka vs Bhutan in Colombo

June 07 - Pakistan vs Nepal, India vs Maldives in Male

June 08 - Afghanistan vs Bhutan, Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka in Colombo

June 09, 10 Rest days

June 11 - Winner Group A vs Runner up Group B in Male and Winner Group B vs Runner up Group A in Colombo

June 12, 13 Rest days

June 14 - The final at Sugathadasa stadium in Colombo followed by the closing ceremony.