After a busy international football season, the Jamals are now waiting for the domestic schedule to start. The 2025-26 football season was scheduled to begin with the Challenge Cup match between Bashundhara Kings and Dhaka Mohammedan on September 15. The league committee’s emergency meeting held online this afternoon has been postponed by four days to September 19.
The Challenge Cup was initially scheduled to be played on September 12. Considering that the national team would return from Kathmandu on September 10, the date was changed to September 15 a month ago. However, in a league committee meeting held three days ago, it was discussed that the schedule could be changed if Bangladesh could not arrive by September 12.
Even after the footballers arrived this afternoon (September 11), the BFF league committee has postponed the domestic football season by four days. The reason for this delay is said to be that the footballers spent a lot of time in Kathmandu in a state of anxiety. It is difficult for many footballers to return to football within two days after overcoming mental trauma.
Ten of the 23 footballers from Kathmandu are from Bashundhara Kings. Even though the new Argentine coach has arrived at Bashundhara Kings, he has not received the footballers from the national team. The discussion in the football community is that the game has been postponed by four days as Bashundhara Kings have more time to prepare under the new coach. Meanwhile, the expenses of the clubs are also increasing due to the postponement of the game. Many clubs are unhappy with this.
In today’s meeting, there was a strong demand for discussions with club representatives before the league starts. The Premier Football League was scheduled to start on September 19. The league has been delayed by a week to September 26 due to the Challenge Cup being postponed to September 19. There is an Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong in Dhaka on October 9.
It will not be possible to conduct more than the first round of the league on September 26-27 for the national team’s preparation. However, the league committee is trying to hold the Federation Cup game on September 30. The matter can be confirmed on the Federation Cup draw next Saturday, September 13. Although the league and Challenge Cup schedules have been changed, the Federation Cup schedule from Tuesday, September 23 remains unchanged.
The Challenge Cup match is held between the Premier League and Federation Cup champions. The league champion gets the privilege of playing at the home venue. As such, this time Mohammedan’s home venue is scheduled to be played in Comilla. Considering the permission of the administration and the field preparation at the Comilla Stadium, it has not been fully confirmed yet. If it is not possible to organize the game in Comilla, the match may be held at the Dhaka National Stadium.
FAQ
Why did the BFF postpone the Challenge Cup?
The BFF postponed the Challenge Cup to give players time to recover mentally and physically after being stranded in Nepal.
When will the Challenge Cup now be held?
The Challenge Cup has been rescheduled from September 15 to September 19, 2025.
How does this affect the Premier League schedule?
The Premier League, which was set to begin on September 19, will now start on September 26, 2025.
Why are some clubs unhappy with the postponement?
Clubs argue that the delay increases expenses and gives Bashundhara Kings more preparation time under their new coach, raising fairness concerns.
