Sri Lanka has withdrawn from the Diamond Jubilee International Tournament, to be held as part of celebrations marking 75 years of Maldivian football.

Football Association of Maldives (FAM) confirmed that Afghanistan will take Sri Lanka’s place in the four-team competition, scheduled from 1 to 10 June.

Sri Lanka’s withdrawal is supposed due to difficulties in securing player availability. Local media in the country reported that several national team players, particularly those contracted to foreign clubs, would not be available for the full duration of the tournament.

The issue stems from the FIFA international window, which runs from 1 to 9 June. With the tournament final set for 10 June, players would be required to return to their clubs before the end of the window, making participation unfeasible.

FAM said Afghanistan had accepted an invitation to compete in the tournament.

Afghanistan, formerly a member of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF), won the SAFF Championship in 2013. The country later joined the Central Asian Football Federation in 2015.

Alongside Maldives and Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan will compete in the tournament.

Bangladesh are expected to field a mixed squad, largely made up of under-23 players alongside a number of senior internationals.

The team is also preparing for a historic international friendly against San Marino on 5 June, the first time Bangladesh will face a European national side. It will also mark San Marino’s first match against an Asian opponent.

Sri Lanka had initially been among the first teams to accept an invitation to the tournament, followed by Nepal. However, both teams later withdrew.

Pakistan will take Nepal’s slot, after the latter pulled out amid concerns over a potential FIFA suspension linked to political instability.