Sports
Pakistan football’s SAFF opener is in Islamabad — and that already matters
A home group game against Bangladesh is a rare chance to put a crowd behind a side that usually travels.
Bilal Ahmed
Sports desk, Lahore
23 August 2026 at 11:00 am · 4 min read
Pakistan open their SAFF Championship campaign against Bangladesh at Jinnah Stadium on 6 September. A home fixture at this level is rare enough that the federation opened a second ticket window on Monday.
The coach named a 23-man squad with more domestic-league minutes than the last window. That is a choice, not an accident.
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