2023 SAFF Championship
The 2023 SAFF Championship will be the 14th edition of the SAFF Championship which is going to take place in 2023.[1][2]
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | India |
| Dates | 20 June–3 July 2023 |
| Teams | 6 (from 1 sub-confederation) |
| Venue(s) | TBD |
Host selection
Bids
Football Sri Lanka initially expressed their interest to bid for hosting the tournament, at the SAFF Executive Committee meeting on 17 October 2021 in the Maldives.[3] FIFA suspended Sri Lanka on 21 January 2023, which is why they are unable to host or participate.[4]
Later, Anwarul Haq Helal, the General Secretary of SAFF unofficially told media that only Nepal had applied for hosting rights till the deadline i.e. 29 January 2023.[5] However, the host was supposed to be announced only after the SAFF members' meeting during 33rd AFC Congress 2023 in Manama, Bahrain on 1 February 2023.
On 14 February 2023, India were declared as hosts of the 14th edition of the championship. The centralised venue, however, would be declared on 10 March 2023 by the AIFF.[6][7]
Participating nations
The Football Sri Lanka was sanctioned by FIFA on 21 January 2023, hence they are ineligible to participate in the competition.[8]
| Country | Appearance | Previous best performance | FIFA ranking 22 December 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
 Bangladesh |
13th | Champions (2003) | 192 |
 Bhutan |
9th | Semi-finals (2008) | 185 |
 India |
14th | Champions (1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2021) | 106 |
 Maldives |
12th | Champions (2008, 2018) | 156 |
 Nepal |
14th | Runner-up (2021) | 175 |
 Pakistan |
12th | Third-Place (1997) | 195 |
Squads
For the list of squads that appeared in the tournament, see 2023 SAFF Championship squads.
Venue
Group stage
The precise format and schedule of the SAFF Championship are yet to be approved. However, the current proposed format of the SAFF Championship is to bring back the group-knockout format for the tournament, like its 2018 edition.[9]
Table
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|
See also
Reference
- "Kazi Md. Salahuddin Re-Elected As President". SAFF. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
- "SAFF C'ship likely in new format". newagebd. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- "FSL keen to host 2023 SAFF Tourney". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
- "Suspension of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) from 21 January 2023 until further notice" (PDF). FIFA. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
- "সাফের স্বাগতিক হতে শুধু নেপালের আবেদন". Prothom Alo. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- "SAFF confirms Sports Partner International as the official commercial partner". SAFF. 14 February 2023.
- "India to host SAFF Championship in June 2023". KhelNow. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- "Suspension of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) from 21 January 2023 until further notice" (PDF). FIFA. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
- "Invitation to Tender SAFF CHAMPIONSHIP" (PDF). SAFF. Retrieved 13 December 2022.