2017 SAFF U-18 Championship

Tournament details
Host country| Bhutan
Dates| 18–27 September
Teams| 5 (from 1 confederation)
Venue(s)| Changlimithang Stadium (in Thimphu host cities)
Final positions
Champions|  Nepal (2nd title)
Runners-up|  Bangladesh
Third place|  India
Tournament statistics
Matches played| 10
Goals scored| 26 (2.6 per match)
Attendance| 38,737 (3,874 per match)
Top scorer(s)|  Jafar Iqbal
(5 goals)
Best player(s)|  Orgyen Tshering
Fair play award|  Bhutan

<- 2015

2019 ->

International football competition

The 2017 SAFF U-18 Championship was the 2nd edition of the SAFF U-18 Championship, an international football competition for men's under-18 national teams organized by SAFF. But since most teams use to send their U-18 team keeping in mind 2018 AFC U-19 Championship qualification it has been officially changed to U-18 tournament. The tournament was hosted by Bhutan 18–27 September 2017.[1]

It was the first time that Bhutan was hosting SAFF event.

## Host selection

[edit]

A draw for tournament ceremony was held on 10 July 2017 at conference room of Bangladesh Football Federation.

SAFF general secretary Anwarul Haque Helal and BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag, were among others present on the occasion.[1]

## Player eligibility

[edit]

Players born on or after 1 January 1999 are eligible to compete in the tournament.

## Participating teams

[edit]

On 6 September 2017 it was announced that Sri Lanka withdrew from the tournament whereas Pakistan didn't take part due to internal turmoil.[2]

Team  | Appearances
in the SAFF U-18 Championship  | Previous best performance

|
|

Bangladesh | 2nd  | Semi finals (2015)
Bhutan (Host)  | 2nd  | Group Stage
India | 2nd  | Runners-Up (2015)
Maldives | 2nd  | Group Stage
Nepal | 2nd  | Champion (2015)

## Venue

[edit]

Thimphu

Changlimithang Stadium
Capacity: 25,000

Thimphu

## Match officials

[edit]

Referees

* Abdur Rahman Dhali
* Ugyen Dorji
* Pratik Mondal
* Hussain Sinan
* Laba Khatri
* Farook M. Irshad

Assistant Referees

* Mohammad Shah Alam
* Phurpa Wangchuk
* Mohan Ravi
* Karma Yeshi
* Padam Bahadur Bhujel
* Sampath Liyanagunawardena

Referee Supervisor

* Tayeb Hasan Shamsuzzaman

## Format

[edit]

After Sri Lanka U18 opted out from the event. Now the championship will be played on round robin basis. Each team will face every other team once respectively and the team with the most points will win the title.[3]

## Standings

[edit]

* All matches are played in Thimphu, Bhutan.[4]
* Times listed are UTC+06:00.

Key to colours in group tables

| Champion
Pos | Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Status

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  Nepal (C) | 4  | 3  | 0  | 1  | 6  | 2  | +4  | 9[a] | Champion
2  |  Bangladesh | 4  | 3  | 0  | 1  | 9  | 5  | +4  | 9[a] |
3  |  India | 4  | 2  | 0  | 2  | 8  | 7  | +1  | 6
4  |  Bhutan (H) | 4  | 2  | 0  | 2  | 2  | 5  | −3  | 6
5  |  Maldives | 4  | 0  | 0  | 4  | 1  | 7  | −6  | 0

Source: Futbol24
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) goal difference; 5) number of goals scored;
(C) Champions; (H) Hosts
Notes:

1. ^ a b Nepal ahead of Bangladesh on head-to-head points: Bangladesh 1–2 Nepal

18 September 2017

16:00 UTC+06:00

Bangladesh | 4–3|  India

|
|

Jafar Iqbal 55', 90+1'
Rahmat Mia 60'
Mahbubur Rahman Sufil 74' | Report |

* 18' Lalawmpuia
* 32' (pen.) Edmund Lalrindika
* 47' Princeton Rebello

Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Attendance: 4633

Referee: Farook M. Irshad (Sri Lanka)

* * *

18 September 2017

19:00 UTC+06:00

Maldives | 0–1|  Bhutan

|
|

| Report |

* 52' Orgyen Tshering

Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Attendance: 3719

Referee: Abdur Rahman Dhali (Bangladesh)

* * *

20 September 2017

16:00 UTC+06:00

Bhutan | 1–0|  Nepal

|
|

* Orgyen Tshering 87' (pen.)

|  |

Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Attendance: 1800

Referee: Hussain Sinan (Maldives)

* * *

20 September 2017

19:00 UTC+06:00

Maldives | 0–2|  Bangladesh

|
|

|  |

* 9' Saikot Mahmoud Munna
* 45' Jafar Iqbal

Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Attendance: 1559

Referee: Ugyen Dorji (Bhutan)

* * *

22 September 2017

16:00 UTC+06:00

Nepal | 2–0|  Maldives

|
|

* Roman Limbu 7'
* Rejin Subba 57'

|  |

Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Attendance: 6511

Referee: Pratik Mondal (India)

* * *

22 September 2017

19:00 UTC+06:00

India | 3–0|  Bhutan

|
|

* Lalawmpuia 38', 78'
* Asish Rai 90+1'

|  |

Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Attendance: 4400

Referee: Laba Khatri (Nepal)

* * *

25 September 2017

16:00 UTC+06:00

India | 2–1|  Maldives

|
|

* Princeton Rebello 37'
* Abhishek Halder 41'

| Report |

* 18' Ahmed Tholal

Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Attendance: 3274

Referee: Abdur Rahman Dhali (Bangladesh)

* * *

25 September 2017

19:00 UTC+06:00

Bangladesh | 1–2|  Nepal

|
|

* Mohammad Al-Amin 30'

|  |

* 22' Abhishek Rijal
* 80' Roman Limbu

Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Attendance: 2513

Referee: Farook M. Irshad (Sri Lanka)

* * *

27 September 2017

16:00 UTC+06:00

Bhutan | 0–2|  Bangladesh

|
|

|  |

* 83', 90' Jafar Iqbal

Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Attendance: 4140

Referee: Laba Khatri (Nepal)

* * *

27 September 2017

19:00 UTC+06:00

Nepal | 2–0|  India

|
|

* Dinesh Henjan 2', 37'

|  |

Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Attendance: 6188

Referee: Ugyen Dorji (Bhutan)

## Winner

[edit]

2nd SAFF U-18 Championship 2017

Nepal
Second title

## Awards

[edit]

The following awards were given for the 2017 SAFF U-18 Championship.

FIFA Fair Play Award | Golden Boot Award

|

Bhutan |  Jafar Iqbal

## Goalscorers

[edit]

5 Goals

* Jafar Iqbal

3 Goals

* Lalawmpuia

2 Goals

* Orgyen Tshering
* Princeton Rebello
* Roman Limbu
* Dinesh Henjan

1 Goal

* Saikot Mahmoud Munna
* Rahmat Mia
* Mahbubur Rahman Sufil
* Edmund Lalrindika
* Asish Rai
* Rejin Subba
* Ahmed Tholal
* Abhishek Halder
* Abhishek Rijal
* Mohammad Al-Amin

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "SAFF U18 Draw held". Daily Sun. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
2. ^ "Sri Lanka withdraws its participation from SAFF U18 Championship". Goal Nepal. 6 September 2017.
3. ^ "SAFF U18 Championship Format Changed". The Daily Star. 11 September 2017.
4. ^ "SAFF U18 Championship To Be Played In Round Robin Format". Goal Nepal. 11 September 2017. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.

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*[Pos]: Position
*[Pld]: Played
*[W]: Won
*[D]: Drawn
*[L]: Lost
*[GF]: Goals for
*[GA]: Goals against
*[GD]: Goal difference
*[Pts]: Points
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