SAFF Championship

Football tournament of Asia

This article is about the men tournament. For the women's tournament, see SAFF Women's Championship.

Football tournament

SAFF Championship

Original SAFF Championship trophy

Organising body| SAFF
Founded| 1993; 31 years ago (1993) (as SAARC Gold Cup)
Region| South Asia
Number of teams|

* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* India
* Maldives
* Nepal
* Pakistan
* Sri Lanka

Current champions|  India (9th title)
Most successful team(s)|  India (9 titles)
Website| saffederation.org
2023 SAFF Championship
Tournaments

* 1993
* 1995
* 1997
* 1999
* 2003
* 2005
* 2008
* 2009
* 2011
* 2013
* 2015
* 2018
* 2021
* 2023

The South Asian Football Federation Championship (erstwhile South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation Gold Cup and South Asian Football Federation Gold Cup), is the main subcontinental international association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). All seven teams are eligible to compete in tournament.

## History

[edit]

The countries that currently compete in the tournaments are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It is held every two years.[1] Afghanistan joined SAFF in 2005 and left the association in 2015 to become a founding member of Central Asian Football Association (CAFA).

The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship kicked off in Lahore in 1993, evolving out of its forerunner, the South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation (SAARC) Gold Cup. Since its inception, the biennial competition has developed into South Asia's premier football tournament, promoting the regional development of the game. The SAFF Championship 2001 was first postponed from Oct/Nov 2001 to Jan/Feb 2002 due to the suspension of the Bangladesh Football Federation from FIFA; the tournament finally took place in 2003. The 2018 edition was hosted by Bangladesh.[2]

The 2021 edition of the tournament was postponed twice to October 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]

## Results

[edit]

Year  | Host  |  | Final  |  | Third place match/Losing semi-finalists

|
|
|
|
|

Champion  | Score  | Runner-up  | 3rd place  | Score  | 4th place
1993
Details |
Pakistan |
India | RR |
Sri Lanka |
Nepal | RR |
Pakistan
1995
Details |
Sri Lanka |
Sri Lanka | 1–0 (a.s.d.e.t.)  |
India |  Bangladesh and  Nepal
1997
Details |
Nepal |
India | 5–1 |
Maldives |
Pakistan | 1–0 |
Sri Lanka
1999
Details |
India |
India | 2–0 |
Bangladesh |
Maldives | 2–0 |
Nepal
2003
Details |
Bangladesh |
Bangladesh | 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(5–3 p) |
Maldives |
India | 2–1 (a.s.d.e.t.)  |
Pakistan
2005
Details |
Pakistan |
India | 2–0 |
Bangladesh |  Maldives and  Pakistan
2008
Details |
Maldives & Sri Lanka |
Maldives | 1–0 |
India |  Bhutan and  Sri Lanka
2009
Details |
Bangladesh |
India U23 | 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(3–1 p) |
Maldives |  Bangladesh and  Sri Lanka
2011
Details |
India |
India | 4–0 |
Afghanistan |  Maldives and  Nepal
2013
Details |
Nepal |
Afghanistan | 2–0 |
India |  Maldives and  Nepal
2015
Details |
India |
India | 2–1 (a.e.t.)  |
Afghanistan |  Maldives and  Sri Lanka
2018
Details |
Bangladesh |
Maldives | 2–1 |
India |  Nepal and  Pakistan
2021
Details |
Maldives |
India | 3–0 |
Nepal |
Maldives | RR [a] |
Bangladesh
2023
Details |
India |
India | 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(5–4 p) |
Kuwait |  Bangladesh and  Lebanon

## Statistics

[edit]

### Performance by nation

[edit]

Nation  | Champions  | Runners-up  | Third-place  | Fourth-place  | Semi-finalists

|
|
|
|
|

India | 9 (1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009[b], 2011, 2015, 2021, 2023)  | 4 (1995, 2008, 2013, 2018)  | 1 (2003)  | –  | –
Maldives | 2 (2008, 2018)  | 3 (1997, 2003, 2009)  | 1 (1999)  | –  | 4 (2005, 2011, 2013, 2015)
Bangladesh | 1 (2003)  | 2 (1999, 2005)  | 1 (1995)  | –  | 3 (1995, 2009, 2023)
Afghanistan*  | 1 (2013)  | 2 (2011, 2015)  | –  | –  | –
Sri Lanka | 1 (1995)  | 1 (1993)  | –  | 1 (1997)  | 3 (2008, 2009, 2015)
Nepal | –  | 1 (2021)  | 1 (1993)  | 2 (1995, 1999)  | 3 (2011, 2013, 2018)
Kuwait3 | –  | 1 (2023)  | –  | –  | –
Pakistan | –  | –  | 1 (1997)  | 2 (1993, 2003)  | 2 (2005, 2018)
Bhutan | –  | –  | –  | –  | 1 (2008)
Lebanon3 | –  | –  | –  | –  | 1 (2023)

Bold = Hosts
* = No longer SAFF member
3 = Invited as guest teams from WAFF

### Participating nations

[edit]

Legend

* 1st – Champions
* 2nd – Runners-up
* 3rd – Third place
* 4th – Fourth place
* SF – Semifinals1
* GS – Group stage
* DQ – Disqualified/Suspended by FIFA/AFC/SAFF.
* Q – Qualified for upcoming tournament
* -- Hosts
* × – Did not enter
* × – Withdrew before tournament begins
* -- Not part of SAFF

Team  |
1993 |
1995 |
1997 |
1999 |
2003 |
2005 |

2008 |
2009 |
2011 |
2013 |
2015 |
2018 |
2021 |
2023 | Total

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Bangladesh | ×  | SF | GS  | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | GS  | SF | GS  | GS  | GS  | GS  | GS  | SF | 13
Bhutan | Not part of SAFF  | GS  | GS  | SF | GS  | GS  | GS  | GS  | GS  | × | GS  | 9
India2 | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 14
Maldives | ×  | × | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | SF | 1st | 2nd | SF | SF | SF | 1st | GS  | GS  | 12
Nepal | 3rd | SF | GS  | 4th | GS  | GS  | GS  | GS  | SF | SF | GS  | SF | 2nd | GS  | 14
Pakistan | 4th | GS  | 3rd | GS  | 4th | SF | GS  | GS  | GS  | GS  | × | SF | DQ  | GS  | 12
Sri Lanka | 2nd | 1st | 4th | GS  | GS  | GS  | SF | SF | GS  | GS  | SF | GS  | GS  | DQ  | 13
Former team(s)
Afghanistan3 | Not part of SAFF  | GS  | GS  | GS  | GS  | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | Part of CAFA | 7
Guest teams
Kuwait4 | ×  | 2nd | 1
Lebanon4 | ×  | SF | 1

1The third-place match was not played in 1995 and has not been played 2003 onwards.
2Including India U23 team.
3Left SAFF and joined CAFA in 2015.
4Invited as a guest team from the WAFF.

### All-time table

[edit]

As of 4 July 2023[update].

Afghanistan's Hamid Karimi holding the SAFF trophy after winning the 2013 SAFF Championship. Rank  | Team  | Part  | Pld  | W  | D  | L  | GF  | GA  | GD  | Pts

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  India1 | 14 | 62 | 39 | 15 | 8 | 108 | 38 | +70 | 132
2  |  Maldives | 12 | 50 | 25 | 11 | 14 | 98 | 52 | +46 | 86
3  |  Bangladesh | 13 | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 52 | 47 | +5 | 66
4  |  Nepal | 14 | 46 | 14 | 7 | 25 | 51 | 68 | −17 | 49
5  |  Sri Lanka | 13 | 41 | 13 | 7 | 21 | 48 | 65 | −17 | 46
6  |  Pakistan | 12 | 39 | 12 | 8 | 19 | 32 | 51 | −19 | 44
7  |  Afghanistan | 7 | 27 | 12 | 4 | 11 | 48 | 42 | +6 | 40
8  |  Kuwait | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 11
9  |  Lebanon | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 10
10  |  Bhutan | 9 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 15 | 102 | −87 | 4

1Including India U23 team.

### Top goal scorers by edition

[edit]

Ali Ashfaq of Maldives scored the most number of goals in a single championship, 10 goals at the 2013 Championship. Years  | Player(s)  | Goals

|
|

1993  |  I. M. Vijayan | 3
1995  |  Mohamed Amanulla | 3
1997  |  I. M. Vijayan | 6
1999  |  Bhaichung Bhutia | 3
Mizanur Rahman Dawn
Mohamed Wildhan
Naresh Joshi
2003  |  Sarfraz Rasool | 4
2005  |  Ali Ashfaq | 3
Ibrahim Fazeel
Ahmed Thariq
2008  |  Harez Habib | 4
2009  |  Enamul Haque | 4
Ahmed Thariq
Channa Ediri Bandanage
2011  |  Sunil Chhetri | 7
2013  |  Ali Ashfaq | 10
2015  |  Khaibar Amani | 4
2018  |  Manvir Singh | 3
Hassan Bashir
2021  |  Sunil Chhetri | 5
2023  |  Sunil Chhetri | 5

### Overall top goal scorers

[edit]

Sunil Chhetri at the 2011 SAFF Championship.

As of 27 June 2023, 20:30 IST
Players with 10 or more goals at SAFF Championships  Rank  | Nation  | Player  | Goals scored

|
|
|

1  |  | Sunil Chhetri | 23
| Ali Ashfaq
3  |  | Bhaichung Bhutia | 12
4  |  | Ibrahim Fazeel | 10
| Ahmed Thariq

### Winning coaches

[edit]

1\. Syed Nayeemuddin

2\. Igor Štimac

Both Syed Nayeemuddin and Igor Štimac won the SAFF Championship twice with India national team.

Year | Team | Coach

|
|

1993  |  India |  Jiri Pesek
1995  |  Sri Lanka |  Jorge Perreira
1997  |  India |  Syed Nayeemuddin
1999  |  India |  Sukhwinder Singh
2003  |  Bangladesh |  George Kottan
2005  |  India |  Syed Nayeemuddin
2008  |  Maldives |  Jozef Jankech
2009  |  India U23 |  Sukhwinder Singh
2011  |  India |  Savio Medeira
2013  |  Afghanistan |  Mohammad Yousef Kargar
2015  |  India |  Stephen Constantine
2018  |  Maldives |  Petar Šegrt
2021  |  India |  Igor Štimac
2023  |  India |  Igor Štimac

## See also

[edit]

* SAFF Women's Championship
* AFC Asian Cup
* Asian Games
* AFF Championship
* CAFA Championship
* EAFF E-1 Football Championship
* WAFF Championship
* Sub-continental football championships in Asia
* Football at the South Asian Games

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ The format of the tournament was changed to round-robin due to the suspension of Pakistan and the withdrawal of Bhutan. Maldives finished third in points and hence listed as third place.[4]
2. ^ India was represented by the India U-23 team.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "From SAARC Gold Cup to SAFF Championship". Givemegoal.com.np. 3 August 2013. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
2. ^ "Infos at goalnepal.com". Archived from the original on 2017-08-18. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
3. ^ "We Will Try Our Best To Host SAFF 2021 Matches In Pokhara". Goal Nepal. 27 July 2021. Archived from the original on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
4. ^ Mukherjee, Soham (9 September 2021). "SAFF Championship 2021: Everything you need to know". Goal. Archived from the original on 13 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* RSSSF page on the South Asian Federation Cup
* South Asia Football–Complete SAFF website
* SAFF Championship winners since 1993

* v
* t
* e

International association football

* FIFA
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Africa|

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Asia|

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North & Central America
and the Caribbean|

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Oceania|

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South America|

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Non-FIFA|

* CONIFA – CONIFA World Football Cup
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Games|

* African Games
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See also
Geography
Codes
Player/Club of the Century
Women's football

* v
* t
* e

SAFF Championship

Tournaments|

* Pakistan 1993
* Sri Lanka 1995
* Nepal 1997
* India 1999
* Bangladesh 2003
* Pakistan 2005
* Maldives/Sri Lanka 2008
* Bangladesh 2009
* India 2011
* Nepal 2013
* India 2015
* Bangladesh 2018
* Maldives 2021
* India 2023

Squads|

* 1995
* 1999
* 2003
* 2005
* 2008
* 2009
* 2011
* 2013
* 2015
* 2018
* 2021
* 2023

Finals|

* 2011
* 2013
* 2015
* 2018
* 2021
* 2023

* v
* t
* e

South Asian Football Federation (SAFF)

International competitions|

* SAFF Championship
* South Asian Games
* Women's Championship
* SAFF Club Championship

Youth competitions|

* U-20 Championship
* U-17 Championship
* U-18 Women's Championship
* U-15 Women's Championship

Member associations|

* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* India
* Maldives
* Nepal
* Pakistan
* Sri Lanka

Football in South Asian countries|

* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* India
* Maldives
* Nepal
* Pakistan
* Sri Lanka

National teams|

* Bangladesh
* M
* W
* Bhutan
* M
* W
* India
* M
* W
* Maldives
* M
* W
* Nepal
* M
* W
* Pakistan
* M
* W
* Sri Lanka
* M
* W

Domestic leagues|

* Bangladesh
* M
* W
* Bhutan
* M
* India
* M
* W
* Maldives
* M
* Nepal
* M
* W
* Pakistan
* M
* W
* Sri Lanka
* M

* SAFF
* FIFA
* AFC

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