Photo: Collected
After the 2-2 draw with Bhutan, Sri Lanka coach Abdullah Al Mutairi had sharply criticised the refereeing. He claimed the result could have been different had there been a video assistant referee (VAR). In the end, the SAFF authorities are bringing in that very technology — VAR will be used in the last three matches of the tournament.
Bangladesh reached the semi-finals as Group B champions after beating Sri Lanka 4-0 at the National Stadium yesterday. The hosts face Pakistan in the semi-final the day after tomorrow. Ahead of that, the SAFF authorities confirmed the use of VAR in a statement today. Remote VAR technology will be used in both semi-finals and the final. The arrangement for the closing stage of the SAFF event is meant to keep pace with modern international refereeing standards.
The technology has been made possible through joint cooperation between the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) and the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). It is being operated by ‘Qualiti’, a Spain-based FIFA-certified technology provider whose central operations are in Thailand. The company is known for supplying VAR to various international football competitions.
Under the remote VAR system, live video footage of matches at the National Stadium in Dhaka will be sent to a central VAR operations hub in Thailand. There, video match officials (VMOs) accredited by FIFA and the relevant authorities will review contentious incidents. They will assist the on-field referees in line with the VAR protocol of football’s law-making body (IFAB). The VAR team’s decisions and recommendations will go directly to the match officials in Dhaka.
To run the technology, a fully equipped modern referee review area (RRO) and a technical operations team area monitor (TOTAM) have been installed at the National Stadium. Technology specialists from ‘Qualiti’ are working directly at the stadium to keep the video broadcast and operations uninterrupted. All referees and assistant referees selected for the semi-finals and the final have been trained in using VAR and hold the necessary certification. As a result, the technology can be applied effectively and consistently in line with international standards.
Sri Lanka and Bhutan are level on 1 point each. But with the Lankans losing 4-0 to Bangladesh yesterday, Bhutan have gone through to the semi-finals as Group B runners-up. Their opponents in the last four are Group A champions India. The Bhutan-India semi-final will be played at the National Stadium at 3pm on 14 November. On the same day, Bangladesh and Pakistan will meet in the second semi-final at 8:30pm. Bangladesh topped Group B with a full 6 points, while Pakistan came through as Group A runners-up. The final is on 17 November.
Background
According to a Khobor Sangjog report of 9 November, Bangladesh had secured a semi-final place with a match to spare after the Sri Lanka-Bhutan match on 8 November ended 2-2; the team had beaten Bhutan 1-0 in its first match. The report also mentioned the goal of winning the SAFF trophy after 23 years.
Sources
Background sources: Khobor Sangjog, 9 November 2026
