SAFF joins FIFA in suspending Sri Lanka

The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Executive Committee has decided to remove Sri Lanka from the 14th SAFF Championship 2023, the main football tournament in the South Asian region, following the country’s temporary suspension by the Federation International Football Association (FIFA).

SAFF has made arrangements to hold the tournament from June 20 to July 3. Accordingly, only Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Pakistan are going to compete in this tournament.

Pakistan, which was banned from FIFA football for several years, has also been included in the SAFF tournament this year.

There was a request by the former football authorities to hold the tournament in Sri Lanka and with the FIFA ban, that request has now been rejected.

The deadline for bids to host the 2023 SAFF tournament ended on January 29. Currently, only Nepal has applied for hosting rights.

The final selection of the SAFF 2023 host will be made by SAFF at the AFC Council Meeting.

The last SAFF tournament held in Maldives in 2021 was won by India.

In the history of the SAFF football competition, India has won the most number of times (1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011 and 2015) while Sri Lanka won the title in 1995 in Colombo.

Sri Lanka will miss the SAFF competition for the first time in history if the FIFA ban continues.