Nepal have been drawn into Group A alongside hosts Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan for the upcoming SAFF Men’s Championship 2026, following the official draw ceremony held in Thimphu, Bhutan, on Saturday.

However, Nepal’s participation in South Asia’s premier international football tournament hinges on a critical condition: FIFA must lift the current suspension on the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) before the stipulated SAFF deadline on September 13.

Nepali football was suspended by FIFA indefinitely on June 24 citing third-party interference.

If the suspension remains in place past the deadline, the tournament will proceed as a six-nation event without Nepal, leaving Group A with three teams (Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan). Group B features regional heavyweights India, the Maldives, and Pakistan.

It could be the first SAFF Championship without Nepal if the suspension is not lifted by the SAFF deadline.

The 15th edition of the flagship regional tournament is scheduled to take place in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from November 4 to 17.

SAFF is also preparing to use VAR in the tournament.

Nepal, runners-up in the 2021 edition, face an anxious wait off the pitch as administrative hurdles threaten to derail their participation on the regional stage. Should the suspension be cleared in time, Nepal will jump straight into action in Group A, expanding the group to four teams without disruption to the scheduled fixtures.

“September 13 has been kept as the deadline so that we can have sufficient time to finalise the fixtures and complete other registration procedures for the tournament,” SAFF’s general secretary Purushottam Kattel told the Post.