The Bangladesh Under-20 national team departed from Dhaka to Kathmandu on Friday at 7:15 PM to participate in the SAFF U-20 Football Championship, which is set to commence on August 18.
This year's SAFF junior championship features six teams: Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Bhutan, and the host nation, Nepal. The teams are divided into two groups, with Bangladesh placed in Group A alongside Sri Lanka and Nepal.
Bangladesh will kick off their campaign against Sri Lanka on August 20, followed by their final group stage match against Nepal on August 22.
A.K.M. Maruful Haque, the head coach of the team, is the only high-profile football coach in the country holding a UEFA A coaching licence. Despite having less than two weeks of preparation, Maruful Haque has set his initial focus on reaching the semifinals, as he disclosed before the team's departure.
In the previous five editions of the SAFF U-20 Championship, Bangladesh secured the second position three times, in 2017, 2019, and 2022, with India clinching the title on all three occasions. However, last year, the Bangladesh youth side
failed to progress beyond the group stage, suffering defeats to both India and Bhutan.
