Daka, Bangladesh: Sri Lanka head coach Abdullah Al Mutairi has launched a strong criticism of the match officials following his side’s 2–2 draw against Bhutan in their opening SAFF Championship 2026 fixture on Sunday, demanding the introduction of VAR and questioning the standard of officiating ahead of Sri Lanka’s decisive meeting with hosts Bangladesh.
The Kuwaiti coach expressed frustration over several decisions during the Group A encounter at the Dhaka National Stadium, claiming that Sri Lanka were denied a penalty while disputing the award of a spot-kick to Bhutan. He also raised concerns over Bhutan’s equalising goal, which he believed may have been scored from an offside position.
“We tried our best. We controlled the match. We were lucky because Sujan [Perera] saved one penalty, which I think was not a penalty. If there was VAR from the group stage, I believe the second goal was offside, but I don't know. I think we had one penalty, but we were not given one,” Mutairi said during the post-match press conference.
Bhutan had taken the lead through Dawa Tshering in the 34th minute, but Sri Lanka responded a minute later when Oliver Kelaart’s effort took a deflection and found the net. Waseem Razeek then put Sri Lanka ahead in the 43rd minute.
Bhutan were awarded a penalty in the 67th minute, but captain Chencho Gyeltshen failed to convert, with goalkeeper Sujan Perera making the save. Gyeltshen eventually made amends by scoring in the 76th minute to secure a 2–2 draw.
Mutairi alleged that the officials had overlooked fouls against his players while repeatedly penalising Sri Lanka for infringements. He called on the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) to introduce VAR immediately or take steps to address the standard of refereeing.
“If all these refereeing mistakes are happening against Bhutan, what will happen to us against Bangladesh? This is a message to SAFF, introduce VAR now or find a solution to the refereeing,” he said.
The Sri Lankan coach then turned his criticism towards the tournament organisers, drawing on his experience at the 2021 edition of the competition. He suggested that if commercial interests meant organisers wanted to see Bangladesh and India contest the final, SAFF should simply stage a competition between those two nations rather than having the other teams participate.
“I have experience from 2021. So please, if the commercial benefits mean you want India and Bangladesh in the final, just have a competition between those two. The others can play off in another window,” he said.
“This time, I am not being direct. Next time, if the referee makes the same mistakes and the atmosphere is the same, just give India and Bangladesh the final. Send the other teams home and save us the time we are wasting,” he alleged.
When asked why he had brought Bangladesh into the discussion despite neither side in Sunday's match being the host nation, Mutairi explained that his concerns were linked to Sri Lanka’s upcoming fixture against the hosts.
“I will tell you why: because Bangladesh are the hosts. I know how referees sometimes... If all these mistakes are happening against Bhutan, what will happen against the host country, Bangladesh? What will SAFF do?” he said.
He also urged the federation to review previous editions of the competition, referring to the tournaments held in 2021, 2023, 2019, 2017, 2015 and 2013. Mutairi stressed that his criticism was not directed specifically at Bangladesh but was about ensuring fairness for every participating team.
“So it is not about Bangladesh or Sri Lanka. It is about fair play,” he added.
Despite his concerns over the officiating, Mutairi said he was looking forward to an exciting encounter against Bangladesh in Sri Lanka’s final Group A fixture on Wednesday. He insisted that his team would not be intimidated by the hosts and promised an entertaining contest.
“I am not afraid of anything. Football is 11 against 11. I promise one thing: the Sri Lanka-Bangladesh match will be the best match in SAFF Cup history. We will do our best, and they will do their best,” he said.
Mutairi also acknowledged the importance of the fixture for Bangladesh, noting that the hosts need to win by a two-goal margin, while promising that Sri Lanka would give their best.
Bangladesh had earlier opened their campaign with a 1–0 victory over Bhutan. The 2–2 draw between Sri Lanka and Bhutan subsequently confirmed Bangladesh’s qualification for the semi-finals, while Sri Lanka now face a crucial final group match.
