New Delhi, August 20: The All-India Football Federation (AIFF) announced the SAFF Championship 2021 schedule for the Indian national team.
The five-team tournament will be staged at the National Football Stadium in Male, Maldives from October 3.
"The Blue Tigers are all set to take part in the SAFF Championship 2021, which will be held from Sunday, October 3 onwards, at the National Football Stadium in Male, Maldives," the AIFF said in a statement.
The Senior Men's National Team has currently set camp in Kolkata, where they are preparing for the upcoming challenges, the first of which will be two international friendlies against Nepal in the first week of September.
The All-India Football Federation has organised a 15-day camp for the senior men's national team from August 15 in preparation for the international games the to be played during the August 30-September 7 FIFA window.
Immediately after the SAFF championship, the Blue Tigers will start their preparation camp for its Group E engagement in AFC U-23 Asian Cup 2022 Qualifiers.
While the Indian international players will return to their respective clubs from the SAFF Championship, the U-23 players will be joining the preparatory camp. There is also an additional FIFA window from January 24 to February 1, 2022.
India will start the third round of AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in February 2022, and will play six qualifiers till September 2022. Further, in the event of ATK Mohun Bagan or Bengaluru FC progressing from the AFC Cup group stage, they are likely to be in the action as early as September 2021 in the inter-zonal semifinal.
The inter-zonal finals are scheduled in October 2021 with the AFC Cup Final scheduled in early November 2021.
India schedule at SAFF Championship
October 3: India vs Bangladesh, 4.30 PM IST
October 6: India vs Sri Lanka, 4.30 PM IST
October 8: India vs Nepal, 9.30 PM IST
October 11: India vs Maldives, 9.30 PM IST
Final: October 13.
Matches will be live on Doordarshan.