The SAFF Championship is facing yet another scheduling crisis, with the regional tournament’s future this year thrown into doubt by India’s participation in the FIFA Asean Cup during the original September to October window. SAFF president Kazi Salahuddin has confirmed that organisers are now exploring a November alternative, though that window presents its own significant challenges.
The tournament had been pencilled in for a two-week window between 21 September and 6 October, considered the ideal period for the competition. However, India’s involvement in the Asean Cup during that same stretch has forced a rethink.
Salahuddin was direct about the implications of staging the tournament without India.
“India is one of the key nations in SAFF. They will play in the Asean tournament in September. It is difficult to organise SAFF without them. Firstly, the level of competition and attraction would decrease, and secondly, sponsors would not be interested. So instead of September, efforts are being made to organise SAFF in November,” he said.
The alternative window in November spans just eight days, from 9 to 17 November, considerably shorter than the original fortnight. Completing a full tournament within that period will be logistically demanding.
Salahuddin acknowledged the difficulty but suggested a potential workaround. “Yes, it is definitely challenging. It may be possible to organise it across two venues by extending the schedule by a day or two before and after the window,” he said.
Bangladesh remains the frontrunner to host the championship, though no formal announcement has been made. Salahuddin indicated that the process is close to completion.
“So far Bangladesh is leading the race to become host. Some formalities remain, which may be completed within the next few days,” he said.
The uncertainty surrounding India’s availability is not limited to the Asean Cup. The Asean Games are also scheduled to take place in Japan in September, and there is a possibility that India could replace Australia in the men’s football event, adding another layer of complexity to their availability for SAFF. It also remains unclear whether India would send an age-group side to the regional tournament if they do not participate in the Asian Games.
India are a full SAFF member but will feature in the Asean Cup as an invited team, competing in a FIFA-approved fixture that takes precedence over regional scheduling.
The SAFF president himself did not attend the recent AFC Congress in Vancouver, Canada, to which both the president and general secretary had been invited. General secretary Purushottam Kattel attended but has yet to return to the SAFF office in Dhaka. After the congress, he travelled to the United States and then to Nepal before heading to Goa, India, to oversee the Women’s SAFF tournament. His return to Dhaka is not expected until after that event concludes.
Billed as the football World Cup of South Asia, the SAFF Championship is supposed to be held every two years. The last edition took place in Bengaluru, India, in 2023. The tournament was already postponed once, having been scheduled for last year before being pushed back to 2026. The latest scheduling conflict means SAFF finds itself in a familiar position: uncertain, under pressure, and searching for a workable solution.
