Lebanon, Kuwait to play in 14th SAFF Championship

KATHMANDU: The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) has confirmed the participation of Lebanon and Kuwait in the upcoming 14th SAFF Championship.

SAFF confirmed Lebanon as the eighth team to join the regional tournament on Monday. SAFF had earlier sent invitations to Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

The tournament, scheduled to take place in Bangalore from June 21 to July 4, will feature eight teams, including six SAFF member countries. Sri Lanka will not participate in this edition of the tournament due to suspension by FIFA.

This is the first time that teams from other sub-confederations are competing in the SAFF Championship. Both Kuwait and Lebanon are members of the West Asia Football Federation.

By inviting teams from other sub-confederations, SAFF is looking to enhance the competitiveness of the regional tournament.

Lebanon is currently ranked 99th in the FIFA rankings, while Kuwait holds the 141st position. Among the SAFF members, India holds the 101st rank, followed by the Maldives (154th), Nepal (174th), Bhutan (185th), Bangladesh (192nd), and Pakistan (195th).