SAFF U-17 Championship 2022: Schedule, fixtures, results, venue & points table

Published at :September 4, 2022 at 12:39 PM

Modified at :September 14, 2022 at 10:57 PM

India are the defending champions of the competition.

The SAFF U-17 Championship will kick off its seventh edition come September 5, 2022. The tournament will be a 10-day affair that will see South Asian teams go up against each other for the highly coveted trophy in Sri Lanka.

Previously played as an U-15 and U-16 tournament, the SAFF U-17 Championship 2022 returns for its seventh edition for the first time since 2019.

Here’s all you need to know about the 2022 SAFF U-17 Championship.

About the tournament

It started as a U-16 competition, but was later changed to a U-15 tournament in 2017. This year, it will take place as a U-17 championship. The first edition of the tourney was played in Nepal in 2011 where Pakistan defeated India 2-1 in the final.

The First edition’s runners-up India are the most successful team in the tournament. The Blue colts have lifted the trophy three times and have finished as runners-up twice. Moreover, India are also the defending champions of the competition. They defeated Nepal 7-0 in the final of the 2019 edition on their home soil.

This year six nations will be participating in the tournament. Teams have been divided into two groups of three each. The opening day, September 5, will witness the defending champions play their first game against neighbours Bhutan. Hosts Sri Lanka will go up against two-time champions Bangladesh on the same day.

Players born on or after 1 January, 2006, are eligible to compete in the event. Each team has to register a squad of minimum 16 players and maximum 23 players, minimum two of whom must be goalkeepers.

Teams

A total of six teams, namely — India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Bhutan and Sri Lanka are taking part in the event. Pakistan also previously participated in the tournament, but won’t be able to make it this time due to the suspension imposed on them by FIFA. Although the ban has been lifted, they haven’t been able to put everything in place on time for the championship.