Maldives Senior National Team Departs for SAFF Championship in Bangladesh

The Maldivian senior national football team has departed for Bangladesh to compete in the SAFF Championship, which begins on Thursday. The team was the last to leave for Dhaka for the tournament, which runs until November 17.A squad of 23 players, the majority from Maziya Sports and Recreation Club, has travelled to Bangladesh for the tournament. Before departing, the Maldives team camped in Indonesia with a 24-player squad, though Taif Qasim did not make the final SAFF squad.The Maldives will face Pakistan in their opening match on November 8. Their final group stage match is against India on November 11.The tournament opened with Bangladesh playing Bhutan, followed by India versus Pakistan. With Nepal suspended, the six-nation SAFF Championship will see the top two teams from the group stage qualifying for the semi-finals. For the first time in the tournament's history, the VAR system will be used from the final matches of the group stage onwards.All tournament matches will be broadcast live on PSM.