The South Asian Football Federation conducted the draw for the championship, pitting the Pak Shaheens against eternal rivals India in the opening clash on the 1st of September,
Hosts Nepal and Bangladesh are also present in Group ‘A’, which has been termed as ‘The group of death’ by many.
With Pakistan facing the Bengal Tigers next month for friendlies in Dhaka, the games should give a prelude of what to expect in Kathmandu when the much-awaited competition kicks off.
However, KRL star Kamran Khan, who is expected to play at South Asia’s biggest football event claims that while beating Bangladesh should be relatively easy, keeping Nepal and India at bay will not be child’s play.
“The draw is good and I’m looking forward to playing against India. We are already playing Bangladesh next month and that will help us prepare for that game in September,” added the centre-back while talking to FootballPakistan.
“Nepal are also a difficult opponent and as they are playing at home, it will be difficult to counter them. Yes, we beat them in Kathmandu earlier this year, but friendlies and the SAFF Cup are a completely different proposition,” concluded Kamran.
Meanwhile in Group ‘B’, minnows Bhutan have been thrown into the mix with Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives.