Bangladesh dealt blow before SAFF Championship 2026; Ronan Sullivan ruled out

Ronan Sullivan, 20, had earned plaudits for his impressive show at the SAFF U-20 Championship earlier this year, where he scored the winning penalty. | Photo Credit: AIFF Media

Bangladesh was dealt an blow before the 2026 SAFF Championships as its midfielder Ronan Sullivan was ruled out of the tournament days before their opening match.

“Yes. He told me last Thursday that he wouldn’t be able to come and sincerely apologised,” Fahad Karim, the vice-president of the Bangladesh Football Federation, was quoted as telling the Bangladeshi media outlet The Daily Star.

Sullivan, 20, had earned plaudits for his impressive show at the SAFF U-20 Championship earlier this year, where he scored the winning penalty. Having earned his maiden senior call-up, he was expected to arrive in Bangladesh on Monday night – a plan that seems reportedly cancelled now.

Bangladesh is hosting the tournament after eight years and is drawn with Sri Lanka and Bhutan, and will open the campaign against Bhutan on November 5.

The team, under head coach Thomas Dooley, is likely to miss out on Hamza Choudhury and Farhaan Ali Wahid for the opening match.