Bangladesh have secured a place in the semi-finals of the SAFF Championship 2026 after Bhutan and Sri Lanka played out a 2-2 draw in their Group A encounter at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Sunday.
The men in red and green defeated Bhutan 1-0 in their opening and only group match to secure three points, enough to book their place in the last four following the draw.
Bangladesh will face Sri Lanka in their concluding group-stage fixture on Wednesday, with the winner set to advance to the semi-finals as Group A champions.
Bhutan took the lead in the 34th minute as Chencho Gyeltshen split the Sri Lankan defence down the left flank before delivering a cross into the danger zone. Dawa Tshering found the back of the net after Kinga Wangchuk's attempt was blocked.
Sri Lanka responded quickly, with Oliver James equalising in the 36th minute through a long-range effort into the bottom corner. Ahmed Waseem then put Sri Lanka ahead in the 43rd minute with a low header following Oliver's cross.
Chencho had a chance to restore parity from the penalty spot in the 67th minute, but Sri Lankan goalkeeper Sujan Perera dived to his right to save the Bhutanese forward's effort.
The Bhutanese star, however, made amends in the 76th minute, firing home to secure a crucial point for his side.
Bhutan could still progress to the semi-finals if Bangladesh defeat Sri Lanka by at least two goals on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, Najeeb Ullah scored a brace as Pakistan defeated Maldives 3-0 in their second Group B fixture to become the first team to reach the semi-finals.
The victory was enough for Pakistan to advance to the last four despite their 3-2 defeat to India in the tournament opener, with their goal difference from the two matches proving decisive.
Aroon Abdullah converted a penalty to give Pakistan the lead in the fourth minute.
Najeeb doubled the advantage five minutes later with a composed finish following a cross from Junaid Ahmed Shah.
The forward struck again in the 24th minute, drifting into the box to find the net and put Pakistan firmly in control.
Maldives had an opportunity to reduce the deficit in the 52nd minute, but substitute Ali Fasir struck the post after being set up by Ibrahim Mahudhee Hussain.
Pakistan also came close to extending their lead on a couple of occasions, with their powerful attempts narrowly missing the target.
With the victory, Pakistan completed their Group B fixtures, while Maldives and India still have a match to play to determine the other semi-finalist.
