SAFF Championship 2023: Dates, Venues, Teams, and Format

After conquering the Intercontinental Cup, team India is back on the clock as the SAFF Championship 2023 is all set to kick off on June 21 in Bengaluru. Here are some essential points to remember about this edition of the tournament.

Apart from India, the 14th edition of the competition also includes teams like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Lebanon, and Kuwait. With lots of action coming up later this month, this article will go through almost everything you need to know about the upcoming footballing spectacle.

The Sree Kanteerava stadium will serve as the sole venue for the 2023 SAFF Games as the competition is being held in Bengaluru and the arena has the experience and all the facilities for hosting a top-tier football match.

The championship will play 15 matches from June 21 including the group stage, knockout stage, semifinals, and the final which is set to be played on the 4th of July, 2023. After being invited as guest teams, Kuwait and Lebanon will compete in the tournament's 2023 iteration. It's noticeable that both countries are not from South Asia.

SAFF Championship: In the past:

The South Asian Football Federation Championship, which is majorly known by the fans as the SAFF Cup is a football tournament for South Asian nations that usually takes place after every two years, except on a few occasions.

The first edition of the football competition took place in Pakistan in 1993. In that season, India emerged as the eventual winner after they defeated Sri Lanka in the final. On the other hand, Nepal and Pakistan acquired third and fourth spots. 

Also Read: Last 10 SAFF Champions

Including its inaugural season, the football tournament has taken place a total of 13 times and the SAFF Cup 2023 will be the 14th edition of the competition. India stands as the most successful team in the South Asian Football Federation Championship with 8 titles and in addition to that, they are also the defending champions. 

After India, Maldives have won the championship twice, while Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka have got the chance to touch the silverware once. However, the 2013 SAFF Cup champions, Afghanistan will not be a part of the competition for obvious reasons. 

Interestingly, India's Sunil Chettri is the all-time highest goal scorer of the tournament with 18 goals. The 37-year-old was also the top-scorer of the SAFF Cup in 2011 and 2021 with seven and five goals respectively. Maldives' Ali Ashfaq is the second-highest goal scorer of the tournament with 13 goals while former Indian captain Bhaichung Bhutai is on the third spot with 12 strikes. 

Participating Countries and rankings

The 2023 SAFF Cup will encompass a total of 8 nations. (Rankings as of April 2023):

India (FIFA Ranking:101)

Lebanon (FIFA Ranking:99)

Kuwait (FIFA Ranking:143)

Maldives (FIFA Ranking:154)

Nepal (FIFA Ranking:174)

Bhutan (FIFA Ranking:185)

Bangladesh (FIFA Ranking:192)

Pakistan (FIFA Ranking:195)

Because Sri Lanka national football team is currently suspended by FIFA, they have been forbidden from competing in this edition of the tournament. Pakistan's participation in the tournament hangs in the balance as many players are facing visa-related issues.

India's 27-member squad:

Goalkeepers:

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh and Phurba Lachenpa Tempa.

Defenders:

Subhasish Bose, Pritam Kotal, Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Akash Mishra, Mehtab Singh and Rahul Bheke.

Midfielders:

Liston Colaco, Ashique Kuruniyan, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Rohit Kumar, Udanta Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Nikhil Poojary, Jeakson Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad, Lalengmawia Ralte, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rowllin Borges and Nandha Kumar.

Forwards:

Sunil Chhetri, Rahim Ali

SAFF Championship 2023: Fixtures

Following are the specific details of all the group-stage fixtures –

21 June, 3.30 PM: Kuwait vs Nepal

21 June, 7.30 PM: India vs Pakistan

22 June, 3.30 PM: Lebanon vs Bangladesh

22 June, 7.30 PM: Maldives vs Bhutan

24 June, 3.30 PM: Pakistan vs Kuwait

24 June, 7.30 PM: Nepal vs India

25 June, 3.30 PM: Bangladesh vs Maldives

25 June, 7.30 PM: Bhutan vs Lebanon

27 June, 3.30 PM: Nepal vs Pakistan

27 June, 7.30 PM: India vs Kuwait

28 June, 3.30 PM: Lebanon vs Maldives

28 June, 7.30 PM: Bhutan vs Bangladesh.

Semi-Final: July 1, 2023

Champion Group A vs Runner-up Group B, TBC.

Champion Group B vs Runner-up Group A, TBC.

Final: July 4, 2023

SAFF Championship 2023 Live Streaming Details

The live telecasting details for SAFF Championship are not available yet. However, some reports say that the matches will be available on Star Sports Network channels and Disney+ Hotstar. 

Format

The eight teams participating in the 2023 SAFF Championship have been divided into two groups of four. Every team will play against all of its group opponents in a round-robin format. At the end of all games, the group winner, along with the runner-up, will qualify for the knockouts.

In the knockout stages, the winner of the first group, will face the runner-up from the other group, and vice versa. 

The teams playing are going to be ranked on points. For a win, a team will get three points, one point for a draw and none for a loss. At the end of all the games, if two teams are tied on points, then the following criteria are to be followed.

• Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams
• Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams tied teams
• Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams
• Goal difference in all group matches
• Goals scored in all group matches
• Penalty shoot-out if only two teams are tied and they met in the last round of the group
• Disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card as a result of two yellow cards = 3 points, direct red card = 3 points, yellow card followed by direct red card = 4 points)
• Drawing of lots