Saudi FA consolidates ties with Bangladeshi counterpart

DOHA: The Saudi Arabian Football Federation has kicked on with its quest for international collaborations by teaming up with the sport’s Bangladesh governing body via the signing of a memorandum of understanding.

Inked in the Qatari capital Doha by SAFF President Yasser Al-Misehal and his Bangladesh Football Federation counterpart, Kazi Salahuddin ahead of Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final, the MoU will see the two Asian federations work together in areas such as women’s football, technical development, football management, talent identification, and refereeing.

The partnership agreement with the BFF is part of Saudi Arabia’s drive to strengthen its existing ties with Asian footballing organizations and support the development of the game. Key areas of the linkup will be centred around youth and women’s football.

Women’s football in Bangladesh is undergoing a transformation across all levels of the game, from grass roots development to refereeing and coaching.

The women’s national team recently made history by lifting the country’s first-ever women’s title after being crowned champions of the South Asian Football Federation Championship.

Al-Misehal said: “Bangladesh is an important partner to Saudi Arabia, and all of us could see during this FIFA World Cup the unbelievable passion they share for football.

“We hope to help transform that passion into further development opportunities to make football across our nations more competitive and played by more youth.”

Salahuddin said: “We are delighted to partner with the SAFF, and we salute Saudi Arabia’s recent progress and constant drive to improve football and sports in general, as evidenced by their win against mighty Argentina during the FIFA World Cup.

“We hope to benefit from this partnership and offer a stronger platform for boys and girls to fulfil their football potential.”