SAFF Championship: Groups revealed for U-16, U-19 youth events

Apart from winning the underage editions, India also lifted the senior edition of SAFF Championship.

The draw for the SAFF Championship 2023 (U-16 and U-19) was conducted at the BFF House in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Saturday, July 22, 2023.

In the U-16 event, India were placed in Group A alongside Nepal and Bangladesh. Hosts Bhutan, Maldives and Pakistan were drawn in Group B. The SAFF U-16 Championship will take place at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu from September 1-10, 2023.

The India U-19s were drawn alongside Bhutan and Bangladesh in Group B, while hosts Nepal, Maldives and Pakistan made up Group A. The SAFF U-19 Championship 2023 will be held at the Dashrath Stadium in Kathmandu from September 21-30, 2023.

The format of both competitions is the same. After a single round-robin group stage, the top two teams from both groups will meet in the semi-finals, the winners of which will contest the final.

India emerged as champions of both SAFF youth tournaments held in 2022 for the U-20 and U-17 age groups. The India U-20s thrashed Bangladesh 5-2 in the final in Bhubaneswar, while the U-17s cruised past Nepal 4-0 in the summit clash in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

SAFF U-16 Championship 2023 Draw

Group A:India, Nepal, Bangladesh

Group B:Bhutan, Maldives, Pakistan

SAFF U-19 Championship 2023 Draw

Group A:Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan

Group B:India, Bhutan, Bangladesh