Bangladesh start with Bhutan

Sports Reporter

Hosts Bangladesh will begin their SAFF Championship campaign taking on Bhutan in one of two opening day matches on December 4 as the South Asian Football Federation yesterday revealed the fixtures of the sixth edition of the regional football meet.

All 15 matches including the semifinals and final will be played at the Bangabandhu National Stadium with two matches of the group stage to be played each day from December 4 to 9.

Both semifinals are scheduled for December 11 while the final will take pace on December 13.

Bangladesh had earlier been drawn in Group B along with Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bhutan while Group A included holders Maldives, runners-up India, Afghanistan and Nepal. Top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals.

Bangladesh, who were eliminated from the group stage in the fifth edition in Colombo in 2008 after a 1-1 draw against Bhutan, a 2-2 draw against Afghanistan before going 1-0 down to Sri Lanka, will play the second match against Pakistan on December 6.

The hosts' third and group final match against Sri Lanka will be held on December 8.