SAFF Championship Scheduled for November; Nepal’s Participation Remains Uncertain

The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) has decided to host the men’s SAFF Championship in Bangladesh from November 4 to 17. However, due to Nepal’s ongoing suspension by FIFA, it remains unclear whether the Nepalese team will be allowed to participate in the tournament. Nepal can only take part if the suspension is lifted before the competition begins.

Kathmandu, July 21 – The men’s SAFF Championship will definitely take place in Bangladesh from November 4 to 17 after multiple postponements. The tournament date was finalized during a SAFF executive committee meeting that confirmed Bangladesh as the host nation.

Nonetheless, Nepal’s participation remains uncertain as the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) is currently suspended by FIFA. This suspension prevents Nepal from competing in international events. Only if the suspension is revoked prior to the tournament will the Nepalese team be eligible to compete at the SAFF Championship.

The SAFF Championship has experienced repeated delays. Initially, the plan was to conduct the 2025 edition under a home-and-away format. However, sponsorship, budgetary, and technical management challenges forced the postponement by one year. Subsequently, SAFF proposed hosting a centralized tournament in Sri Lanka. Yet, due to technical and logistical difficulties, Sri Lanka was unable to serve as host. Bangladesh has now assumed responsibility for organizing the championship and is moving forward with preparations.