Dhaka: Bangladesh U-19 national football team will leave here for India tomorrow morning to take part in the seventh edition of the SAFF U-19 Championship, which will be held in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India from May 9-18. Bangladesh enters the tournament as the defending champions, having secured their maiden title by defeating Nepal 4-1 in the final last year.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, six South Asian nations, split into two groups, will participate in the championship. Defending champions Bangladesh are grouped with Maldives and Bhutan in Group A, while Group B consists of Nepal, Sri Lanka, and host India. India is the most successful team in the tournament, having won the SAFF U-19 championship crowns in 2019, 2022, and 2023.
Bangladesh will kick off their tournament campaign against Maldives on May 9 and will play their last group match against Bhutan on May 11. Following the group phase matches, the top two teams from each group will progress to the cross semifinals on May 16
. The final of the tournament is scheduled for May 18.
All the matches will take place at Golden Jubilee Stadium in Yupia, Arunachal Pradesh.