FSL focus on 43 foreign-origin players for football national pool

By: Susil Premalal

Colombo, Dec. 10 (Daily Mirror) - Football Sri Lanka (FSL) has focused on 43 players who are currently abroad under the program to identify dual-citizen football players born in Sri Lanka.

FSL President Umar Jasver says that the FSL Executive Committee and Selection Committee have agreed to select 15 players for the 2024 Sri Lanka International Competition National Pool first.

This is the first time in Sri Lankan football history that more dual-citizen players will be admitted to the Sri Lanka National Football Pool.

According to the short-term, medium-term, and long-term road map prepared by FSL with FIFA approval, FSL has taken steps to give priority to admit dual citizen players to the Sri Lanka National Football Pool in 2024.

According to the FSL International Competition Calendar, the Sri Lankan team is planning to participate in many international tournaments in the year 2024, and dual citizen players are going to be included in each of those tournaments.

The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) has decided to stage the 2024 SAFF Under-20 Men's Football Competition in Sri Lanka, and FSL has already started searching for island white youth talent with the aim of winning the tournament.

The tournament is scheduled to be held in Colombo in August 2024.

In addition, FSL plans to conduct the second edition of the invitational football tournament in June or July next year.

The Seychelles won the first edition, while Sri Lanka were runners-up in 2021.