Sri Lanka’s national football team, buoyed by an encouraging rise in the FIFA World Rankings, departed for Dhaka, Bangladesh, this morning to compete in the 15th edition of the South Asian Football Championship (SAFF Championship).
The Sri Lankan squad is in a positive frame of mind ahead of the regional tournament, widely regarded as the FIFA World Cup of South Asian football. This year, Sri Lanka will field a strong side comprising several professional footballers of Sri Lankan origin who play for clubs overseas.
Sri Lanka are currently ranked 184th in the latest FIFA World Rankings and will face India (138), Maldives (173), Bangladesh (182), Bhutan (192) and Pakistan (197) in the tournament.
Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan have each won the championship once, while India have been the most successful team in the competition’s history.
The tournament will kick off on the 5th, with India taking on Pakistan at 3.30 p.m. The second match of the day will see hosts Bangladesh face Bhutan at 8.00 p.m. Both matches will be played at the Dhaka National Stadium.
Sri Lanka will begin their campaign on the 8th against Bhutan, while Maldives will meet Pakistan on the same day.
On the 11th, India will take on Maldives, followed by the much-anticipated encounter between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The two semi-finals are scheduled for the 14th, with the grand final set to take place on the 17th at the Dhaka National Stadium.
Sri Lanka will be looking to make a strong impression in the competition and build on their recent progress in international football.
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