The Maldives will host the 13th edition of the SAFF football championship from October 1 to 16. This is the most prestigious football tournament in the South Asian region. So, there is a lot of interest in this tournament among football lovers in this territory. The defending champion is the Maldives, while India have the most trophies (7) in the competition’s history. Bangladesh have only one SAAF Championship, which they won in 2003. Bangladesh have a good enough squad to make it to the final. They will compete for their second championship. Let’s look at some facts about the 2021 SAFF Championship.
Why was the SAFF Championship Postponed for a Year?
The tournament was scheduled to take place in Pakistan in December 2020. However, the competition had to be postponed due to the outbreak of coronavirus. The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) postponed the tournament for another year, and Bangladesh was selected to host the event in September 2021.
Following Bangladesh’s withdrawal, Nepal expressed interest in hosting the event. However, the Maldives later emerged as a contender to host the 2021 SAAF Championship. The SAAF committee eventually agreed to award the hosting rights to the Maldives in August.
The SAAF Football Championship will be held for the second time in the Maldives. In 2008, they co-hosted the event with Sri Lanka for the first time.
Pakistan would not be eligible to compete in this year’s SAAF Championship because they were sanctioned by FIFA in April 2021. Bhutan will also be absent from the tournament due to the government’s refusal to allow the national football squad to travel outside of the country.
The host Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, and Bangladesh are among the teams competing in the 13th edition of the SAAF Football Championship.
2021 SAFF Championship: Format and Fixtures
There is just one group in the 2021 SAFF Championship. To put it another way, all five teams competing will face off against one another. The top two teams in the points table will qualify for the championship match. All of the games will be held at Malé’s National Football Stadium.
Aside from India, only the Maldives have won the SAAF Football Championship more than once. Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan have each won one tournament. In addition to being a one-time champion, Bangladesh have finished second twice in the SAAF Football Championship.
Bangladesh will play Sri Lanka in their first match of the tournament on October 1. Bangladesh’s chances to stay strong in the competition will be determined by their performance in the first encounter.
Here is the tournament’s complete schedule
Date Matches
01/10/2021 Nepal vs. Maldives
01/10/2021 Sri Lanka vs. Bangladesh
04/10/2021 Bangladesh vs. India
04/10/2021 Sri Lanka vs. Nepal
07/10/2021 India vs. Sri Lanka
07/10/2021 Maldives vs. Bangladesh
10/10/2021 Maldives vs. Sri Lanka
10/10/2021 Nepal vs. India
13/10/2021 Bangladesh vs. Nepal
13/10/2021 India vs. Maldives
16/10/2021 Final
Bottom Line
Bangladesh’s chances of winning the championship for the second time depend on their ambition and performance throughout the competition. Bangladesh have a realistic opportunity to win the 2021 SAFF Championship if they can exhibit consistency from the start of the event.
The SAFF Football Championship will go ahead after overcoming all of the obstacles posed by the pandemic coronavirus. The tournament committee will closely observe health regulations. However, spectators may or may not be allowed into the stadium depending on the condition of the covid-19 situation in the Maldives.
Source: United News of Bangladesh