ANFA likely host of SAFF Championship 2023

Sports Reporter :
All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) is likely to be the host of South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship 2023. ANFA is the only organisation, which has submitted its application to SAFF Office to host the upcoming SAFF Championship. If it gets the permission, the SAFF Championship, the most prestigious football meet of South Asian region, will be held in Nepal from June 20 to July 3.
General Secretary of SAFF Anwarul Haq Helal has not yet confirmed this matter. Helal said, ” The Congress of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will be held in Bahrain in the first week of February. All the delegates of SAFF will be present at the Congress. We shall discuss with them about that matter. Then, we shall finalised the matter. Apart from ANFA, no organisation has showed their interest to arrange the ensuing SAFF Championship. So, it is almost confirm that ANFA will host SAFF Championship 2023.”
The last SAFF Championship was held in Male, the capital city of Maldives in September of 2021. But the SAFF has not yet get the income from Football Association of Maldives. So, Football Association of Maldives is not under consideration of SAFF. All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Bhutan Football Federation (BVF) did not show interest to stage the upcoming gala extravaganza. Most of the participating teams are not interested to play in Pakistan due to security concern. Besides, FIFA, the supreme authority of world football governing body has banned Sri Lanka. So, it is a matter of formality to announce that ANFA will host the SAFF 2023. Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) did not apply as the Bangabandhu National Stadium is under renovation works. So, BFF cannot arrange the gala football meet without the country’s prime football venue.
ANFA hosted SAFF Championship in 2013. The SAFF Championship 2015 was held in Kerala of India in 2015. The SAFF Championship of 2018 was held in Dhaka.