Maldives invite Bangladesh for four-nation tournament before SAFF C'ship

The Football Association of Maldives (FAM) has invited the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) to take part in a four-nation Invitational international football tournament scheduled for June–July, as FAM prepares to mark the diamond jubilee of Maldivian football.

The Maldives FA is considering staging the tournament with the participation of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal to commemorate its 75th anniversary as an independent governing body for football, established in 1950.

According to Daily Mirror, Sri Lanka has already given its nod to participate in the tournament, while the logo celebrating 75 years has already been unveiled by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

A BFF official confirmed that the federation received the invitation from Maldives earlier this month but has yet to confirm its participation.

The official added that the National Teams Committee, headed by BFF president Tabith M Awal, will make the final decision on whether Bangladesh will take part in the invitational tournament.

Bangladesh had confirmed participation in a similar invitational tournament in Sri Lanka last year, but the event ultimately did not take place.

With a tentative schedule for the SAFF Championship set for September–October, the BFF is likely to send the national football team to the Maldives tournament as part of its preparation for the regional competition.