DHAKA: A 26-member Bangladesh national football team has left home for India on Sunday (December 20) to participate in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship that is scheduled to begin December 23 in Kerala.

The team, led by Mamunul Islam Mamun, has left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka in a flight of Jet Airways for Delhi.

Bangladesh footballers will go to Kerala from Delhi, as Dhaka has not direct flight with Kerala.

However, Bangladesh will start the 11th SAF tournament playing against Afghanistan on Thursday (December 24).

They will take on Maldives in their second group match, scheduled on December 26 while third one against Bhutan on December 28.

South Asian nations – Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Afghanistan, Bhutan, the Maldives and Sri Lanka – will take part in this event.

Earlier, India won the tournament six times in the 10 editions so far and they ended as runners-up thrice.

Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives and Afghanistan won title once each.

Moreover, India lost to Afghanistan 0-2 in the final of the last edition in Nepal.

BDST: 13 HRS, DEC 20, 2015
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