SAFF president
Kazi Salahuddin wanted to create a regional club competition since he was first elected to the position in 2009. For over a decade, the plan was stalled because of lack of sponsors and enough support for such a league. In May 2023, it was announced following the federation's Ordinary Congress in
Dhaka,
Bangladesh that the competition would likely be held for the first time in 2024. All seven member associations agreed on its creation and to participate in the first edition of the tournament. It was planned that each member association would receive one spot in the competition, with the
All India Football Federation granted two spots as the highest-ranked member, for a total of eight participants. Originally, it was proposed that the tournament would be held in a centralized format over two weeks. However, it was then amended to a home-and-away format at the request of India. It was imagined as being played over six or seven months during the domestic league seasons. ==Qualification==