2023 SAFF Championship
The 2023 SAFF Championship (known as the 2023 Bangabandhu SAFF Championship for sponsorship reasons)[1] was the 14th edition of the SAFF Championship, the biennial international men's football championship of South Asia organised by South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). The event was held at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore, India from 21 June to 4 July 2023.
 | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | India |
| Dates | 21 June – 4 July |
| Teams | 8 (from 2 sub-confederations) |
| Venue(s) | 1 (in 1 host city) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  India (9th title) |
| Runners-up |  Kuwait |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 15 |
| Goals scored | 38 (2.53 per match) |
| Attendance | 93,993 (6,266 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Sunil Chhetri (5 goals) |
| Best player(s) | Sunil Chhetri |
| Best goalkeeper |  Anisur Rahman Zico |
| Fair play award |  Nepal |
India, the defending champions, won their ninth championship by defeating Kuwait in the final.[2]
Host selection
At the SAFF Executive Committee meeting, held on 17 October 2021 in the Maldives, Football Sri Lanka expressed their interest to bid for hosting the tournament.[3] However, FIFA suspended Sri Lanka on 21 January 2023, which ceased them from hosting and participation in any football tournament.[4]
Later on 30 January 2023, SAFF unofficially announced that only Nepal had applied for hosting rights till the deadline which is 29 January 2023.[5] The host was supposed to be announced following the SAFF members' meeting during 33rd AFC Congress in Manama, Bahrain on 1 February 2023. On 14 February 2023, India were declared as the hosts of the 14th edition of the championship.[6][7] On 19 March 2023, AIFF announced Bangalore as the host city for SAFF Championship 2023.[8]
Participating nations
Football Sri Lanka was sanctioned by FIFA on 21 January 2023, which made them ineligible for participation in the competition.[4] Kuwait and Lebanon were invited as guest teams with a view to increase the number of teams for the championship and make the event more competitive.[9]
| Country | Appearance | Previous best performance | FIFA ranking (6 April 2023)[10] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh |
13th | Champions (2003) | 192 |
 Bhutan |
9th | Semi-finals (2008) | 185 |
| India |
14th | Champions (1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2021) | 101 |
| Kuwait |
1st | Debut (invitee) | 143 |
 Lebanon |
1st | Debut (invitee) | 99 |
 Maldives |
12th | Champions (2008, 2018) | 154 |
| Nepal |
14th | Runners-up (2021) | 174 |
 Pakistan |
12th | Third place (1997) | 195 |
Squads
Each team had to register a squad with a minimum of 18 players and a maximum of 23 players, at least three of whom must be goalkeepers.
Venue
The Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore, Karnataka, India hosted all the matches.[8]
| Bangalore, Karnataka, India | |
|---|---|
| Sree Kanteerava Stadium | |
| 12°58′10.92″N 77°35′36.24″E | |
| Capacity: 25,810 seats | |
 | |
Draw
The draw ceremony of this tournament was held on 17 May 2023 at 12:30 IST in New Delhi, India.[11]
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanon (99) India (101) (hosts) |
Kuwait (143) Maldives (154) |
Nepal (174) Bhutan (185) |
Bangladesh (192) Pakistan (195) |
Officiating
- Referees
- Md Alamgir Sarker
- Pema Tshewang
- Crystal John
- Sinan Hussain
- Prajwol Chhetri
- Irshad Ul Haq
- Assistant referees
- Mohammad Nuruzzaman
- Phurpa Wangchuk
- S Manikandan
- Sumanta Dutta
- Ahmed Hassan
- Nani Ram Thapa Magar
Group stage
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kuwait |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 7 | Qualified for Semi-finals |
| 2 | India (H) |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 7 | |
| 3 | Nepal |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 3 | |
| 4 | Pakistan |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | −9 | 0 |
| Pakistan | 0–4 | Kuwait |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Nepal | 0–2 | India |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lebanon |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 9 | Qualified for Semi-finals |
| 2 | Bangladesh |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 6 | |
| 3 | Maldives |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 3 | |
| 4 | Bhutan |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9 | −7 | 0 |
| Lebanon | 2–0 | Bangladesh |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Bangladesh | 3–1 | Maldives |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Knockout stage
Bracket
| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| 1 July 2023 | ||||||
| Kuwait (a.e.t.) | 1 | |||||
| 4 July 2023 | ||||||
| Bangladesh | 0 | |||||
| Kuwait | 1 (4) | |||||
| 1 July 2023 | ||||||
| India (p) | 1 (5) | |||||
| Lebanon | 0 (2) | |||||
| India (p) | 0 (4) | |||||
Semi-finals
| Kuwait | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Bangladesh |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Statistics
Goalscorers
There were 38 goals scored in 15 matches, for an average of 2.53 goals per match.
5 goals
2 goals
1 goal
- Tariq Kazi
- Tsenda Dorji
- Chencho Gyeltshen
- Udanta Singh Kumam
- Naorem Mahesh Singh
- Lallianzuala Chhangte
- Abdullah Al-Buloushi
- Mohammad Daham
- Khalid El Ebrahim
- Hasan Al-Enezi
- Eid Naser Al-Rasheedi
- Ali Al Haj
- Mohamad Omar Sadek
- Mahdi Zein
- Naiz Hassan
- Anjan Bista
- Aashish Chaudhary
1 own goal
- Phuntsho Jigme (against Bangladesh)
- Anwar Ali (against Kuwait)
Awards
| Most Valuable Player | Top Scorer | Goalkeeper | Fair Play |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunil Chhetri |
Sunil Chhetri (5 goals) |
Anisur Rahman Zico |
Nepal |
Champion
| SAFF Championship 2023 |
|---|
India 9th title |
Prize money
Prize money amounts were announced in 2023.[12]
| Position | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| Champions | 50,000 |
| Runner-up | 25,000 |
| Total | 75,000 |
Broadcasting
| Country | Broadcaster | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh |
T Sports | [1] |
| India |
DD Bharati, DD Sports, FanCode | [13] |
| Kuwait |
Kuwait Television | [14] |
| Lebanon |
LBCI | [15] |
| Maldives |
ICE TV, Yes TV | [16][17] |
| Nepal |
Kantipur Television | [18][19] |
| Pakistan |
Geo Super, A Sports | [20] |
See also
References
- "Bashundhara Toiletries Limited becomes title sponsor of SAFF Championship 2023". daily-sun.com. 21 June 2023. Archived from the original on 22 June 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- "SAFF Championship 2021 Final: India defeats Nepal 3-0 to lift title for the eighth time". Sportstar. The Hindu. Press Trust of India. 16 October 2021. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- Premlal, Sushil (10 October 2021). "FSL keen to host 2023 SAFF Tourney". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
- "Suspension of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) from 21 January 2023 until further notice" (PDF). digitalhub.fifa.com. Zurich. 22 January 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
- "সাফের স্বাগতিক হতে শুধু নেপালের আবেদন". Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 29 January 2023. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- "SAFF confirms Sports Partner International as the official commercial partner". saffederation.org. 14 February 2023. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- "SAFF Championship 2023: All you need to know, dates, schedule, match timings, venue". Sportstar. Chennai: The Hindu. 16 June 2023. Archived from the original on 26 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- "Bengaluru to host 2023 SAFF Championship". the-aiff.com. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- "Lebanon to compete in SAFF Championship". saffederation.org. 8 May 2023. Archived from the original on 8 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
- "FIFA Men's Ranking". fifa.com. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
- Chatterjee, Triyasha (15 May 2023). "SAFF Championship 2023 Draw on May 17, Indian Football Team eye consecutive titles - Follow SAFF 2023 LIVE". www.insidesport.in. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
- "SAFF Championship 2023 Awards And Winners". India TV News. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
- "India vs Pakistan, SAFF Championship live streaming; When and where to watch football match live". India Today. 21 June 2023. Archived from the original on 25 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- تلفزيون دولة الكويت [@KwtTelevision] (21 June 2023). للإعلان عبر تلفزيون دولة الكويت على القناة الثالثة الرياضية خلال مباريات بطولة كأس اتحاد جنوب اسيا لكرة القدم 2023 ، التواصل مع ادارة الاعلان التجاري والتسويق whatsapp : +965 22326688 (Tweet) (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023 – via Twitter.
- LBCI TV [@LBCILebanon] (20 June 2023). تابعوا مباراة منتخب لبنان ضد بنغلادش ضمن بطولة إتحاد جنوب آسيا لكرة القدم... الخميس الساعة 1 بعد الظهر على شاشة الـLBCI [Watch the Lebanon national team match against Bangladesh in the SAFF Championship... Thursday at 1:00 pm on LBCI] (Tweet) (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023 – via Twitter.
- @ICEmdv (20 June 2023). "The most awaited SAFF 2023 is here, brought to you by @medianetmv in partnership with @psm_mkt" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023 – via Twitter.
- @YES_Maldives (20 June 2023). "Get ready, Maldives! SAFF 2023 is here! @psm_mkt in partnership with @medianetmv brings you the action! Stay tuned for matches, goals, and unforgettable moments. Are you ready?" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023 – via Twitter.
- "Kantipur TV to broadcast SAFF Championship 2023 Live in Nepal". dailylivescores.com. 7 June 2023. Archived from the original on 23 June 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- "SAFF Championship 2023: Nepal vs India: Where and how to watch in India and Nepal?". khelnow.com. Archived from the original on 24 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- Nasir, Saad (27 June 2023). "How to Watch Pakistan Vs. Nepal SAFF Championship: Live Stream and Timings". propakistani.pk. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.