LAHORE Pakistan, bronze-medallist in 1997 at Kathmandu, and four-times gold medallist India will not clash in league phase of the SAFF Championship slated to start in three months. The 8th edition of the premier football event in South Asia, will be comprised of 15 matches, all to be played at Dhakas Bangabandhu National Stadium from December 4-14, said Syed Khadim Ali Shah, the newly-appointed Senior Vice President of SAFF. He added that the draws for the event were held at the Dhaka Sheraton on October 3 during which eight nations were drawn into two groups of four with the top two teams advancing to the semi-finals of the biennial event. The SAFF Championship, known as World Cup for South Asia, will be comprised of four times champion India, 2003 gold medalist Bangladesh, 1995 champion Sri Lanka, 2008 champion Maldives, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan, added by Khadim Shah who is also PFFs Vice President. Before the draws ceremony, also attended by PFF secretary Lt Col (r) Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi and secretary generals of other seven participants, Bangladesh (as host) and Maldives (as titlist) were seeded top in two groups. India and Sri Lanka were seeded second as edition 2008s runner up and semi-finalist respectively. Pakistan is drawn in Group B, having Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan. One of the teams would be knocked out of the event before semis. A total of seven tournaments were played in the past and India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives are the four nations that have won the tournament. The SAFF Championship is held biannually to promote football in South Asia. Launched at Lahores Railway Stadium in 1993 as SAARC Gold Cup; since 1997 onwards it is known as the SAFF Championship.