Bangladesh likely to participate in inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup as India withdraws
Fakhrul Hasan
Bangladesh’s national football team stands a strong chance of featuring in the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, scheduled to take place from September 23 to October 3, following the last-minute withdrawal of India.
Approved by FIFA, the Southeast Asian tournament will feature 14 teams split into two tiers: the Premier Division and the Challenge Division. Indonesia will host the Premier Division matches, while Hong Kong will host the Challenge Division.
Under the tournament format, eight teams will compete in the Premier Division and six in the Challenge Division. Teams will be divided into groups, with the group winners advancing directly to their respective division finals without any semi-final stage. The champions of the Premier Division will receive a prize purse of USD 1 million.
India withdrew from the competition due to a scheduling clash, as five-time world champions Brazil are scheduled to tour India during the same window in September.
Following India's exit, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) expressed strong interest in filling the vacant spot. According to BFF sources, discussions with ASEAN authorities are underway, and the prospect of Hamza Choudhury and the national team participating appears high.
Should the ASEAN Cup opportunity not materialize, the BFF has alternative arrangements in place. These include organizing a four-nation tournament in Dhaka featuring Maldives, Mongolia, and Chinese Taipei, or participating in a three-nation tournament in Kyrgyzstan. However, India's withdrawal has placed the ASEAN Cup as the primary target, with federation officials expressing optimism.
While BFF President Tabith Awal declined to comment on the matter, Bangladesh National Team Head Coach Thomas Dooley highlighted the strategic value of the tournament.
"Playing in the ASEAN Cup would be good for us," Coach Dooley told Bangla Tribune. "However, playing at home would also have been great so our supporters could watch us before the SAFF Championship. The entire situation should be finalized within a day or two."
