The 15th SAFF Championship opens at the National Stadium today, with World Cup opening performer Sanjoy Deb to sing at the ceremony

The 15th edition of the SAFF Championship opens on Thursday (5 November) at the National Stadium, with a glittering opening ceremony planned for spectators before the football begins.

The ceremony will feature musical performances, fireworks, a laser show, special lighting, a flag display and an introduction of the participating countries.

One of the main attractions will be a performance by Sanjoy Deb, a Canadian DJ and music producer of Bangladeshi origin who also performed at the opening ceremony of the United States-Mexico-Canada World Cup.

Known on the international music scene beyond America and Canada, the artist will appear in Bangladesh with a special musical performance.

The opening programme will be staged at the centre of the field and in the galleries, with the flags of the participating countries displayed and the teams introduced, creating an international atmosphere for the six-nation South Asian tournament.

Fireworks and a light show are among the highlights of the ceremony, with bursts of fireworks across the stadium at special moments, alongside the laser show and special lighting. The National Stadium has already been dressed for the occasion with a combination of light and music.

The 15th SAFF Championship will begin with the India-Pakistan match at 3:30pm on Thursday, followed by hosts Bangladesh against Bhutan at 8pm.

There is added interest around the two opening-day matches, in particular as Bangladesh take the field aiming to regain the title after a long 23 years.

The six-nation tournament will run until 17 November. Group A contains Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, while Group B contains defending champions India, Pakistan and the Maldives.

Group matches will be played on 5, 8 and 11 November, the two semi-finals on 14 November, and the final on 17 November.