Salahuddin re-elected SAFF president for 5th term
- Update Time : Saturday, 1 August, 2026, 04:49 pm
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Online Desk : Kazi Md Salahuddin has been re-elected unopposed as president of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) for a fifth consecutive term. The election took place during the SAFF Ordinary Congress held in Thimphu, Bhutan, on Saturday. Salahuddin will lead the regional governing body for the 2026-2030 term. As the sole candidate to submit nomination papers for the presidency, he was declared elected unopposed under SAFF electoral rules.
Salahuddin was first elected SAFF president in 2009 and has held the position continuously across four terms, having previously been elected unopposed in 2022 as well. The congress also elected Jaswar Umaru Lebbe of Sri Lanka as Vice President, while Bangladesh’s Sabbir Ahmed Arif and Maldives’ Hussain Shafiu were elected as Executive Committee members. Bhutan’s Zimbiri was elected as the female executive committee member.
Speaking after the election, Salahuddin expressed gratitude to the member associations for their continued trust and support. “We must work together as a family to advance South Asian football,” Salahuddin said. “We will collaborate like a family to uplift the standard of the game across the region.”
During his tenure, SAFF expanded its tournament calendar beyond the flagship Men’s Championship to include women’s, youth, and age-group competitions. He reaffirmed his commitment to introducing new regional tournaments, including a proposed SAFF Club Championship.
The path for the 72-year-old sports administrator’s candidacy was paved last year following an amendment to the SAFF constitution that removed upper age limits, allowing him to retain his leadership of the regional body despite stepping down from his role as BFF president.
