Fourteenth edition of the SAFF Championship
International football competition
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.
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]
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]
Draw
The draw ceremony of this tournament was held on 17 May 2023 at 12:30 IST in
New Delhi , India.
[11]
Draw result
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
Group B
Knockout stage
Bracket
Semi-finals
Final
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
1 own goal
Awards
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
See also
References
^
a
b
"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 .
^
a
b
"Suspension of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) from 21 January 2023 until further notice" (PDF) . digitalhub.fifa.com .
Zürich . 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 .
^
a
b
"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 .
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