Nepal national men’s football team will take on Kuwait in the inaugural match of the SAFF Championship 2023 set to take place in Bengaluru, India, from 21 June to 4 July.

Record eight-time champions and holders India will lock horns against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium later that day.

All the matches have been scheduled at the same venue.

Nepal are pitted alongside hosts India, Kuwait and Pakistan in Group A. Group B consists of Lebanon, Maldives, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

Kuwait and Lebanon—both from outside the South Asian region—are participating in the SAFF Championship as guests. They were invited by the South Asian Football Federation with a view to make the competition more competitive.

Sri Lanka could not participate in the tournament due to FIFA suspension.

Nepal will meet India in their second match on June 24 before facing Pakistan on June 27.

Nepal reached their first ever final under former coach Abdullah Almutairi in the 2021 SAFF Championship in Maldives but lost 3-0 to India in the final.

The top two teams from each group will progress into the semi-finals, to be held on July 1.

The final will be played on July 4.