The Bangladesh national football team's build-up for November's SAFF Championship received a boost with the confirmation of their participation in the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, but their preparations on the ground remain a concern.

Bangladesh head coach Thomas Dooley would prefer his team to play friendly matches at home rather than travel abroad during the September-October FIFA window as they prepare for the SAFF Championship in Dhaka in November.

Hosts Bangladesh have been drawn in Group A alongside Sri Lanka and Bhutan for the 2026 SAFF Championship, while regional powerhouse India headline Group B with the Maldives and Pakistan.

A logo inspired by Bangladesh's traditional Jamdani weaving and Nakshi Kantha embroidery was unveiled at the Sheraton Hotel in Dhaka yesterday, carrying the colours and identity of South Asia's seven nations as the symbol of the upcoming SAFF Championship.

With the SAFF Championship scheduled to start five days before the November FIFA window opens on November 9, Bangladesh could begin the tournament without overseas-based players.

For the past few weeks, the people of Bangladesh have been captivated by one thing -- the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Dhaka will host the 15th SAFF Championship from November 4 to 17, the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) confirmed in a press release on Sunday.

The South Asian Football Federation is considering rescheduling the SAFF Championship to November, with Dhaka remaining the likely host city, according to SAFF general secretary Purushottam Kattel.

Bangladesh football stands at the foothills of a new beginning. The chapter of Javier Cabrera has come to a close, leaving behind a dugout that is now almost a blank canvas. Yet, for a country languishing near the bottom of the FIFA rankings, master tacticians from across the world are eager to leave their mark.

Fresh off Bangladesh’s historic 1-0 victory over India, midfielder Shamit Shome chose a quieter, more personal celebration.

Since Bangladesh's maiden triumph in SAFF Women's Championship two years ago, there have been strong recommendations for taking necessary initiatives to take the country's women's football beyond the South Asian region, a demand that has only been strengthened following the successful title defence in Nepal a few days ago.

Following a seemingly never-ending slump, Bangladesh eventually turned the tide in the middle of last year during the SAFF Championship before retaining momentum for the rest of 2023.

In the world of sports, Bangladeshi women’s and men’s teams for cricket and football have had an eventful year.

George Kottan, the SAFF Championship winning coach of Bangladesh football team, passed away in Budapest on Monday. He was 76.

Having undergone a recovery session on Wednesday, Bangladesh national team returned to a full-fledged training session at the practice ground of the Bashundhara Sports Complex ahead of two FIFA friendlies against Afghanistan.

The 33-year-old captain, who has worked under different foreign and local coaches and seen the ups and downs of the team, spoke elaborately regarding the difference from the previous campaigns to the recent one and what he feels should be the ideology for the team going forward. Excerpts of the interview, taken by The Daily Star’s Anisur Rahman, are as follows.

India re-evaluated themselves against skilled Asian teams, having repelled Lebanon in similar fashion in the semi-finals, but what will the rest of the South Asian participating nations take away from the tournament? From here on, how do they gauge their standards relative to India’s ever-accelerating progress?

Following an outstanding campaign in the SAFF Championship, Bangladesh’s Anisur Rahman Zico was named the goalkeeper of the tournament.

The Spaniard, who led Bangladesh to a first semifinal in the regional event for the first time in 14 years only to lose the last-four battle against Kuwait in extra time, said he was disappointed of the end result but proud of the performance from the charges.

Tariq, who picked up a shin injury soon after giving Bangladesh a lead against Maldives on June 25, went through four days of rest before Friday's training session.