Maldives has been placed in Group B alongside India, Pakistan, and Bhutan for the SAFF U-17 Championship scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka from September 15 to 27. The draw for the seven participating nations has been conducted, with Bangladesh, Nepal, and the host nation Sri Lanka forming Group A. The tournament, set to take place at Sri Lanka’s Racecourse Stadium, will feature teams competing in three age categories: Under-15, Under-16, and Under-17. This marks the 10th tournament organized by SAFF encompassing these three age groups.
Planned in accordance with the AFC qualifying schedule, this is the third tournament to include the Under-17 age category. India has won the previous two editions. In the last tournament, the Maldives team was grouped with India and Bangladesh.
Maldivian youth football teams have been achieving various successes in the international arena. Notably, in 2023, the Maldives team reached the semi-finals of the Under-16 tournament held in Bhutan. Additionally, in this year’s SAFF Under-19 tournament, the young Maldivian team progressed to the semi-finals.
