SAFF Championship may be held in Dhaka in November

The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) is considering moving the SAFF Championship to November, with Dhaka still expected to host the tournament, according to SAFF General Secretary Purushottam Kattel.

“We had an initial plan to hold the Championship in September-October in Dhaka, but now we are considering shifting it to November, tentatively from 4 to 17 November following India's desire to participate in the ASEAN Cup,” Kattel told reporters during a press briefing ahead of Tuesday's SAFF Women’s Championship semi-final between Bangladesh and Nepal at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa.

Kattel added that SAFF is also exploring the possibility of staging the competition across two venues, although no final decision has yet been made.

“We are considering holding the championship in two venues, though nothing has been finalised yet,” he stated.

The SAFF chief also disclosed plans to introduce the Video Assistant Referee system for the first time in the tournament's history, describing it as a positive step forward, despite none of SAFF's member nations currently using the technology in their domestic leagues due to its high cost.

He further revealed that SAFF hopes to conduct the draw for the seven-team tournament later this month.