The 12th edition of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championships to be played in Bangladesh has once more been postponed to this time to September 4 to 15, 2018.

This was decided at the South Asian Football Federation meeting in Kathmandu on Sunday, August 27 ahead of the SAFF U-15 Championship final.

Originally the tournament had been scheduled for December 2017, but that date was not suitable for India due to domestic club football commitments of Indian Super League and I-League being played at the time. Thereafter the tournament was rescheduled to May 1-12 and now finally it has been decided to hold the 2018 SAFF Championship from September 4 to 15.

India are the most successful team of the biennial South Asian tournament and had won the last edition in December 2015/January 2016 at home in Thiruvananthapuram against Afghanistan.

And that for the time being will have been Afghanistan’s last participation in the competition as they have been shifted by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to Central Asia which leaves the SAFF competitions as seven nation affairs, if all member countries take part.

(Photo courtesy: AIFF Media)