SAFF Championship 2023: Format, Fixtures, Telecast and more
The tournament is set to commence from 21st June.
The 2023 SAFF Championship is within striking distance, as the eight participating nations buckle up to take on each other in a demanding two-week long tournament.
In what is to be the 14th edition of the competition organised by the South Asian Football Federation, a total of eight teams will participate, with two nations invited as guest participants - Kuwait and Lebanon.
With the competition set to take place within a few days time, here is everything you need to know about the 2023 SAFF Championship.
Teams
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
Venue
All the games will be played at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, India.
Telecast
The SAFF Championship 2023 telecast details are yet to be announced.
June 21, 2023
Kuwait 3-1 Nepal
India 4-0 Pakistan
June 22, 2023
Lebanon 2-0 Bangladesh
Maldives 2-0 Bhutan
June 24, 2023
Pakistan 0-4 Kuwait
Nepal 0-2 India
June 25, 2023
Bangladesh 3-1 Maldives
Bhutan 1-4 Lebanon
June 27, 2023
Nepal 1-0 Pakistan
India 1-1 Kuwait
June 28, 2023
Lebanon 1-0 Maldives
Bhutan vs Bangladesh, 19:30 IST.
Semi-finals:
July 1, 2023
Kuwait 1-0 Bangladesh
Lebanon (2) 0-0 (4) India
Final:
July 4, 2023
Kuwait vs India, 7:30 PM IST
Standings
Group A
| Pos | Team | Points | MP | W | L | D | GD |
| 1 | Kuwait | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 2 | India | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | Nepal | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | -3 |
| 4 | Pakistan | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | -9 |
Group B
| Pos | Team | Points | MP | W | L | D | GD |
| 1 | Lebanon | 9 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | Bangladesh | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | Maldives | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | -1 |
| 4 | Bhutan | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | -7 |
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