Bangladesh Failing to Win SAFF Title Would Be a Major Surprise, Says Sri Lanka Coach

The SAFF Championship always carries extra emotion and excitement for Bangladesh's football fans. The most prestigious tournament in South Asian football is often called the region's own World Cup. After eight long years, the SAFF tournament is returning to Bangladeshi soil: this year's competition will be held from 4 to 17 November at the National Stadium in Dhaka, with six nations taking part. Expectation and excitement are already building around the event.

Sri Lanka's Kuwaiti coach Abdullah Al-Mutairi has added a new dimension to that excitement. He has placed hosts Bangladesh alongside nine-time champions India at the top of the title race. In his view, Bangladesh and India are the two strongest teams in this year's tournament.

Between the two favourites, however, he puts Bangladesh ahead for several reasons. Home advantage, a strong squad and the presence of players based abroad will give Bangladesh an extra edge, he believes. Playing in front of a home crowd brings pressure, but that same support can also fuel the team.

The Sri Lanka coach also pointed to Bangladesh's recent performances. Bangladesh's win over European side San Marino, in his view, is proof of the team's capability. Added to that is the presence of a footballer like Hamza Choudhury in the national team, which has lifted both the squad's strength and its confidence.

Speaking about his own team's group, Al-Mutairi called it a very strong group and said his target is to reach the semi-finals. Bangladesh and Bhutan are strong, experienced sides, and Bangladesh's squad is powerful, he said — accepting the strength of the opposition while setting a realistic goal for his own team.

On Bangladesh's title chances he was even more direct. Bangladesh simply must win the SAFF Championship, he said: with Hamza, the whole squad and home advantage combined, Bangladesh are ahead. If Bangladesh do not win the tournament, he said, it would be a major surprise to him.

Al-Mutairi also sees the overseas-based players in the Bangladesh squad as a major strength. He singled out Hamza Choudhury as one of the best footballers in Asian football, noting that seven Bangladesh players are playing in Europe — experience that, in his eyes, makes Bangladesh the best team at SAFF.

Comparing Bangladesh with India, he is careful not to dismiss the neighbours. But recent head-to-head results put Bangladesh ahead, the coach believes. Bangladesh won the most recent meeting 1-0, a match in which everyone in the team played well, he recalled, and he expects Bangladesh to do even better at the SAFF Championship.

For Sri Lanka, Al-Mutairi is taking a realistic path. Even though his squad includes the highest number of heritage players, the team is still in a development process, he said. For now he wants to focus on their own game rather than results; they are building a team and need more time. Reaching the semi-finals would make him happy.

He returned once again to the home advantage. A stadium full of supporters could become an extra source of strength for Bangladesh, he believes. Bangladesh and India are the favourites for the SAFF title, he said — but Bangladesh are the home team, their supporters will fill the stadium, the environment will favour them, and Hamza is simply the best.

At the same time, he cautioned that a team's strength should not be judged on one or two friendly results alone. Recalling Bangladesh's performance at the FIFA ASEAN Cup, he said it is Bangladesh's overall strength and current standing that make them favourites. Bangladesh are no longer a team still in development — they have a strong squad and are genuine title contenders.

Al-Mutairi's assessment will raise the weight of expectation on Bangladesh while also feeding their confidence. After eight years, the SAFF tournament is back on home soil. How far that expectation carries will become clear from 4 November, when South Asian football's biggest battle begins at the National Stadium.