Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has officially protested the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) decision to postpone the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier between Afghanistan and Myanmar, which was scheduled to take place on 18 November at the Kings Arena in Dhaka.
According to the AFC’s notice sent to BFF, the match was deferred citing “insufficient time” as the reason. However, the BFF rejected the explanation, calling it unacceptable, and immediately sent letters of protest to both the Myanmar Football Federation and the AFC.
In a press release issued on Thursday afternoon, the BFF stated, “The federation finds the reasoning unacceptable and has already sent official letters to the AFC and the Myanmar Football Federation expressing its objection to the decision.”
The AFC’s official website, as of now, still lists the Afghanistan–Myanmar fixture for 18 November in Dhaka. However, BFF sources confirmed that the match will likely be moved to 26 March, during the next international window.
The BFF has requested the AFC to reconsider the venue or allow Bangladesh to host the rescheduled match in March as a neutral venue, showing its willingness to continue as a trusted host nation for regional fixtures.
The upcoming fixture had generated considerable anticipation within Bangladesh’s sporting community, as it would have marked the country’s first time hosting an international qualifier as a neutral venue. Despite the postponement, the BFF has assured that it will remain in regular contact with the AFC and has already informed both the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the situation.
