Kathmandu, Sept 16. The Maldives on Saturday defeated India 2-1, lifting the title of the 12th SAFF Championship (second time) held in the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The Maldives cleared the way for the finals by thrashing Nepal 2-0, while India made it by defeating Pakistan 3-1.
In the group phase, India beat the Maldives 2-0. Started on September 1, the tournament was participated by Nepal, India, hosts Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.
So far, India has become the champions for seven times (in 1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011 and 2015), while Bangladesh (2003), Afghanistan (2013), and Sri Lanka (2008) lifted the title one time each. Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan are yet to open the account. Maldives won the match in 2008.
