India-Pakistan rivalry to open SAFF in Dhaka

Dhaka is gearing up for a football festival as the 2026 Tecno SAFF Championship kicks off on 5 November, opening with a highly anticipated clash between fierce rivals India and Pakistan.

Bangladesh is hosting this year's edition of South Asia's most prestigious football tournament, with all matches set to take place at the Dhaka National Stadium. Organisers released the full match schedule on Tuesday, promising an exciting two weeks of action for football fans across the region.

The opening day will feature two massive games. The tournament begins at 3:30pm local time when India and Pakistan take the pitch to renew their historic rivalry. Later that evening, at 8:00pm, host nation Bangladesh will begin their campaign against Bhutan, looking to secure a strong start in front of a passionate home crowd.

The group stage action continues on 8 November, starting with the Maldives facing Pakistan at 3:30pm. This will be followed by a nighttime clash between Sri Lanka and Bhutan at 8:00pm. The final day of the group phase falls on 11 November, when India will play the Maldives at 3:30pm, and Bangladesh will take on Sri Lanka under the lights at 8:00pm.

Following the fierce group stage battles, the top four teams will advance to the semi-finals, which are both scheduled for 14 November. The Group B champions will play the Group A runners-up at 3:00pm, while the Group A champions will meet the Group B runners-up later in the evening at 8:30pm. The tournament will reach its climax with the grand final on 17 November at 8:00pm, where the new champions of South Asia will be crowned.

However, tournament officials have included one important condition regarding the current schedule. Nepal's participation in the event is not yet fully confirmed. If Nepal does officially join the tournament, the fixtures will be updated to include them, and the opening day of the competition will be moved one day earlier to 4 November.