The 2025 edition of the SAFF Championship, originally planned for the third week of June to early July, is facing growing uncertainty as the venue for the tournament remains unconfirmed.
With just a couple of months left, neither player registration nor any official preparations have commenced, casting doubt over whether the tournament can go ahead as scheduled.
Kazi Salahuddin, former president of the Bangladesh Football Federation and current president of SAFF (South Asian Football Federation), could not provide a definite update.
"Nothing has been finalised regarding the venue yet. The marketing partner is still reviewing various aspects. A decision is expected in the next SAFF Congress," he said.
The SAFF Congress is scheduled to take place on 24 May in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Experts noted that hosting a senior international tournament typically requires at least two months of preparation by both organisers and participating nations. Therefore, a decision on 24 May virtually rules out a June tournament.
Initially, SAFF had considered a home-and-away format for this year's tournament, a proposal that had received agreement from their marketing partner, SportsFive. However, the plan was later abandoned in favour of hosting the event at a single central venue, as in previous editions.
India and Bangladesh were among the preferred hosts, but taking various facts into consideration, both countries eventually dropped out of contention of being the host.
Although Sri Lanka previously expressed interest in hosting the tournament, and there were discussions in earlier meetings about awarding them hosting rights, that matter is not heard anymore.
It is learned that the SAFF Congress in Kathmandu on 24 May will shed light on the pending issues. The official announcement regarding the venue and other matters will come from there.
Besides, the shift from a home-and-away format back to a centralised venue was not entirely welcomed by SportsFive. Their reluctance has grown since neither India nor Bangladesh could be secured as hosts, which has pushed the marketing partner further into the background.
Without their active support, SAFF is unlikely to manage the tournament successfully, and this appears to be the primary reason behind the uncertainty.
Adding to the complications, SAFF's long-serving General Secretary Anwarul Haque Helal, who had worked closely with SportsFive, stepped down in late February for personal reasons.
His successor, Purushottam Kattel from Nepal, officially took over on the first of April. However, he is yet to settle into the SAFF headquarters in Dhaka.
Bangladesh had planned to follow up its 10 June Asian Cup qualifier home match in Dhaka with participation in the SAFF Championship.
If the SAFF tournament is not to hold in June, Bangladesh's football calendar will need significant revision. Their next confirmed fixture would then be the home match against Hong Kong on 9 October.
With the clock ticking and uncertainty mounting, the fate of this year's SAFF Championship now hinges on the upcoming Congress meeting in Kathmandu.
