Maldives return to Dhaka, scene of their 2018 SAFF title, to open against Pakistan

The Maldives' campaign at the TECNO SAFF Championship Bangladesh 2026 begins in a city that has served them well: Dhaka, where they won the second of their two regional titles in 2018. Their first opponents, on 8 November, are Pakistan; India, the defending champions, follow on 11 November.

Both group games will be played at Dhaka's National Stadium, which hosts every match of a tournament that SAFF, the South Asian Football Federation, has scheduled for 5 to 17 November.

Maldives fixtures

• Maldives v Pakistan: Sunday 8 November, 14:30 MVT
• India v Maldives: Wednesday 11 November, 14:30 MVT

Format and schedule

The six entrants have been drawn into two groups of three, and each team plays its two group rivals once. The leading two sides in each group advance to the semi-finals on 14 November, and the title will be settled on 17 November.

• Group A: hosts Bangladesh, with Sri Lanka and Bhutan
• Group B: India, the Maldives and Pakistan

The complete programme, in Maldives time:

• 5 November: 14:30 Pakistan v India; 19:00 Bhutan v Bangladesh
• 8 November: 14:30 Maldives v Pakistan; 19:00 Sri Lanka v Bhutan
• 11 November: 14:30 India v Maldives; 19:00 Bangladesh v Sri Lanka
• 14 November (semi-finals): 14:00 Group B winners against Group A runners-up; 19:30 Group A winners against Group B runners-up
• 17 November: 19:00 final

Dhaka runs one hour ahead of Malé. SAFF has warned that the schedule remains subject to revision.

A record against India

Both of the Maldives' SAFF titles came at India's expense. The first, in 2008, was a 1–0 victory in the final; the second, a 2–1 win, was sealed in Dhaka a decade later. The team has also finished as beaten finalist three times, in 1997, 2003 and 2009.

India remain the competition's most successful side, with nine titles, and arrive as holders after winning the 2023 edition.