Bangladesh can reach the SAFF semi-finals on Sunday without even playing

Two matches are scheduled for Sunday in the 15th SAFF Championship under way in Dhaka. Hosts Bangladesh have no match that day, but the result of the game between their group rivals Sri Lanka and Bhutan could decide the hosts' semi-final fate. Bangladesh could book a place in the last four on Sunday without even taking the field.

Sri Lanka face Bhutan at 8pm on Sunday. If Bhutan lose, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will confirm their semi-final places with a match still to play. In a three-team group, Bhutan's two matches will both be over on Sunday, leaving them with no points.

If Sri Lanka win on Sunday, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will both have three points each, and both will go through. In that case the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka match on November 11 will decide who finishes top of the group. Bangladesh are playing at home with the aim of retaining the title, and the hosts will want to reach the last four as group winners.

Bhutan have no alternative to victory on Sunday if they are to stay in the tournament. Even a draw between Sri Lanka and Bhutan would send Bangladesh through to the semi-finals, because Bhutan would finish their two matches on one point while Bangladesh sit ahead of them on three.

If the Sri Lanka-Bhutan match is drawn, Bhutan would still finish third in the group on one point even if Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh on November 11. And if the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka match is drawn, Bangladesh would finish as group champions on four points, with Sri Lanka as runners-up on two.

But a narrow path remains open for Bhutan. If the Sri Lanka-Bhutan match ends in a draw and Bangladesh then beat Sri Lanka by more than one goal, Bhutan would still have a chance of reaching the next round as runners-up. In other words, Bhutan's fate depends largely on the result of the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka match.

In the other match on Sunday, at 3:30pm, the Maldives face Pakistan. Like Bhutan, Pakistan have no alternative to victory if they are to stay in the tournament. A draw would leave them depending on India's match, with India needing to beat the Maldives by a big margin.

Meanwhile, TSA, the company that owns the rights to the SAFF tournament, has announced a 50 percent discount on tickets for Sunday's two matches. The company's chief executive, Sajib, gave the information to journalists today. Organisers hope the discount will bring more spectators to the galleries for Sunday's games.

No final decision has yet been taken on whether ticket prices will be reduced for Bangladesh's match against Sri Lanka on November 11. TSA said a decision on tickets for that match will be announced later.

Bangladesh began this home tournament with the aim of retaining the title. If Sunday's results go their way, the hosts will confirm a semi-final place with a match to spare, and the November 11 match will then become a battle to finish top of the group.