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Kathmandu Wednesday September 05, 2001 Bhadra 20, 2058.
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Nepal to meet Pakistan in SAF Games football opener
Post Report
KATHMANDU, Sept 4 – Nepal will face the hosts Pakistan in the inaugural
match of the 9th SAF Games Football Championship on October 7 in Islamabad, news agency
AFP reported Tuesday.
The draw of the eight-day championship, also featuring defending champions
Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka and India, was released on Monday by Agha Liaquat Ali,
Secretary General of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) from Quetta.
Nepal is drawn in pool "B" with Pakistan and Sri Lanka while
defending champions Bangladesh is in pool "A" alongside India and the Maldives.
Bhutan, the other SAARC member stayed away from the competition. Bangladesh beat Nepal 1-0
in the 8th SAF Games football final in Kathmandu two years ago.
The opening day of the football, besides Nepal—Pakistan game will also
see India clash with holders Bangladesh in the second match.
After a day’s rest, Nepal and Sri Lanka will meet each other in the
first match while India take on Maldives on October 9. Two more matches will be played on
October 10; Pakistan v Sri Lanka and Bangladesh v Maldives. October 11 will be rest day,
while two semi-finals will be held on October 12.
Another rest day will be on October 13, whereas play-off for third position
will be played on October 14, which will be followed by final.
Meanwhile, AFP, in its news dispatch from Karachi, added that the 9th SAF
Games organisers had cleared Nepali football team to participate in the Games. Nepal was
banned by the AFC because of government interference in the national football federation.
"The football draw is approved by Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and
they have cleared Nepal for the SAF Games football event," AFP quoted Pakistan
Football Federation secretary Agha Liaquat Ali as saying.
Earlier, the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) had named the Nepali final
squad comprising a total of 20 footballers for the Games yesterday.
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