FSL offers cash reward for winning SAFF Tourney

By Susil Premalal

Football Sri Lanka (FSL) have decided to grant a financial reward to the national football team if they win the SAFF Tournament in the Maldives, which will be played from October 1 to 16. 

Sri Lanka will join India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Maldives in this biennial tournament, which will be conducted on a round-robin basis.

The SAFF Tournament began in 1993 in Pakistan with Sri Lanka’s only success in this event came in 1995 in Colombo.

Sri Lanka also won the Golden Jubilee Invitation Football Tournament in the Maldives in 2000 and since then they have not won a major regional event.

“I am prepared to present each player a cash reward of Rs. one million if they win the SAFF Tournament,” FSL President Umar Jaswar said Daily Mirror yesterday. 

The Sri Lanka Team is currently training in Saudi Arabia and will return to the Maldives on September 26 in time for their opening match against Bangladesh on October 1.  

Meanwhile, this will also be the last tournament for Amir Alagic as the Head Coach of the Sri Lanka Football Team.
Sri Lanka are currently placed 205th in the FIFA Rankings.

“My main target is to lift the Sri Lanka Team to 199 or 200 in the FIFA Rankings. This young side has been training hard despite the COVID-19 pandemic.”

FSL has decided not to extend the services of Alagic, who received a monthly salary of over US $5,000.