India-Pakistan clash to open SAFF in Dhaka, followed by Bangladesh-Bhutan

The SAFF Championship is set to return to Bangladeshi soil for the first time since 2018, with the tournament running from 5 to 17 November and bringing together seven nations for South Asia's premier football competition.

Organisers published the full fixture schedule on Monday, confirming that arch rivals India and Pakistan will kick off proceedings on the opening day, meeting in a highly anticipated clash at Dhaka's National Stadium.

That same day will also mark the beginning of hosts Bangladesh's own campaign, with the national side taking to the field against Bhutan in front of a home crowd eager to see their team open the tournament in style.

Bangladesh's opening fixture against Bhutan is scheduled for 8pm at the National Stadium, while the India versus Pakistan encounter earlier that day will get under way at 3:30pm as the tournament's marquee opening act.

Group A also features Sri Lanka, who will face Bhutan on 8 November, before Bangladesh return to action against the same Sri Lankan side on 11 November, again in an evening kick off at 8pm.

Group B, meanwhile, sees defending champions India joined by Pakistan and the Maldives, with Pakistan facing the Maldives on 8 November ahead of India's own meeting with the Maldives three days later on 11 November.

Once the group stage concludes, the top two sides from each group will progress through to the semi final stage, with both last four fixtures scheduled to take place on 14 November at the National Stadium.

The first semi final, contested between Group B's winners and Group A's runners up, is set for 3pm, followed later that evening by the second semi final between Group A's champions and Group B's runners up at 8:30pm.

The tournament will then conclude with the final on 17 November, also kicking off at 8pm, bringing the curtain down on what organisers hope will be a memorable return of the competition to Dhaka after an eight year absence.

There remains one outstanding factor that could yet reshape the schedule, with Nepal currently excluded from August's draw due to an ongoing FIFA suspension that has prevented their participation in the tournament so far.

Should that suspension be lifted before 30 September, Nepal would be added to Bangladesh's group, triggering a revised schedule that would see the tournament instead begin a day earlier, on 4 November, to accommodate the extra fixtures.

For Bangladesh, the tournament carries significant weight given how long it has been since they last lifted the trophy on home soil, with their most recent SAFF Championship success at home dating back to 2003.

All matches across the tournament, including the group stage, semi finals and final, will be staged exclusively at the National Stadium in Dhaka.