2021 SAFF Championship

Last updated

2021 SAFF Championship
SAFF Championship Maldives logo.png
Tournament details
Host countryMaldives
Dates1–16 October
Teams5 (from 1 sub-confederation)
Venue(s)1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
ChampionsFlag of India.svg  India (8th title)
Runners-upFlag of Nepal.svg    Nepal
Tournament statistics
Matches played11
Goals scored22 (2 per match)
Top scorer(s) Flag of India.svg Sunil Chhetri
(5 goals)
Best player(s) Flag of India.svg Sunil Chhetri
Fair play awardFlag of Maldives.svg  Maldives
← 2018
2023 →

The 2021 SAFF Championship, known as Ooredoo SAFF Championship 2021 for sponsorship reasons, [1] was the thirteenth edition of the SAFF Championship, the biennial international men's football championship of South Asia organised by South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). Initially, it was decided to be hosted by Pakistan in 2020, but was postponed to September 2021 in Bangladesh. However, the tournament was postponed again to October due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Maldives as host. [2] [3]

Contents

Host selection

On 11 April 2018, SAFF decided to allow Pakistan to host the tournament after the restoration of Pakistan Football Federation's membership by FIFA and since then it would be country's first international football tournaments. [4] [5] [6] However, on 15 September 2019, SAFF president Kazi Salahuddin and general secretary Anwarul Haque Helal along with representatives of seven member countries decided to host the regional tournament in Bangladesh. This was to be the last edition to be held in even years, as it was decided that the subsequent editions would be held in odd years. [7] [8]

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament was postponed from its original date of 2020 to 2021, [9] and it was supposed to be held in September 2021. [10] Later, Bangladesh withdrew from hosting due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of sponsors, [11] [12] after which Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli asked All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) to "initiate the process" of hosting the tournament in Nepal. [13] In July, the ANFA received an offer to host the tournament. [14] [15] Meanwhile, the Football Association of Maldives submitted their bid to host the tournament. [16] [17] On 9 August 2021, Maldives was declared as the hosts after an online meeting of the executive committee. [2] [3]

Participating nations

The Pakistan Football Federation was sanctioned by FIFA in April 2021, hence they were ineligible to participate in the competition. [18] Bhutan initially abstained from participation as their government refused to permit the national football team to travel abroad. [19] [20] However, Bhutan's withdrawal was only confirmed when the fixtures were released on 18 August 2021. [21]

CountryAppearancePrevious best performance FIFA ranking
16 September 2021 [22]
Flag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh 12thChampions (2003)189
Flag of India.svg  India 13thChampions (1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015)107
Flag of Maldives.svg  Maldives 11thChampions (2008, 2018)158
Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal 13thThird-Place (1993)168
Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka 13thChampions (1995)205

Squads

For the list of squads that appeared in the tournament, see 2021 SAFF Championship squads.

Venue

The National Football Stadium in capital Malé hosted all the matches.

Malé
National Football Stadium
Capacity: 11,850 [23]
Rashmee Dhandu Stadium on a matchday of the 2021 SAFF Championship.jpg

Officials

Referees
Assistant Referees

Group stage

After the suspension of Pakistan and the withdrawal of Bhutan, the format was changed to a single group round robin format where the top two teams advance to the final. [24]

Table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Flag of India.svg  India 422052+38Advance to the final
2Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal 421154+17
3Flag of Maldives.svg  Maldives (H)42024406
4Flag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh 412134−15
5Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka 401325−31
Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head to Head; 3) Goal difference; 4) Goals scored [25]
(H) Hosts

Matches

Sri Lanka  Flag of Sri Lanka.svg0–1Flag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh
Report Barman Soccerball shade.svg56' (pen.)
National Football Stadium , Malé
Attendance: 2,500
Referee: Feras Taweel (Syria)
Nepal    Flag of Nepal.svg1–0Flag of Maldives.svg  Maldives
Dangi Soccerball shade.svg86' Report
National Football Stadium, Malé
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Akhrol Riskullayev (Uzbekistan)
Bangladesh  Flag of Bangladesh.svg1–1Flag of India.svg  India
Arafat Soccerball shade.svg74' Report Chhetri Soccerball shade.svg26'
National Football Stadium, Malé
Referee: Majed Al-Shamrani (Saudi Arabia)
Sri Lanka  Flag of Sri Lanka.svg2–3Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal
Report
National Football Stadium, Malé
Referee: Ammar Ashkanani (Kuwait)
India  Flag of India.svg0–0Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka
Report
National Football Stadium, Malé
Referee: Sajëçon Zajniddinov (Tajikistan)
Maldives  Flag of Maldives.svg2–0Flag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh
Report
National Football Stadium, Malé
Referee: Yousif Saeed Hassan (Iraq)
Maldives  Flag of Maldives.svg1–0Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka
Report
National Football Stadium, Malé
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Majed Al-Shamrani (Saudi Arabia)
Nepal    Flag of Nepal.svg0–1Flag of India.svg  India
Report Chhetri Soccerball shade.svg82'
National Football Stadium, Malé
Referee: Yousif Saeed Hassan (Iraq)
Bangladesh  Flag of Bangladesh.svg1–1Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal
Reza Soccerball shade.svg9' Report Bista Soccerball shade.svg88' (pen.)
National Football Stadium, Malé
Referee: Akhrol Riskullaev (Uzbekistan)
India  Flag of India.svg3–1Flag of Maldives.svg  Maldives
Report Ashfaq Soccerball shade.svg45' (pen.)
National Football Stadium, Malé
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Ammar Ashkanani (Kuwait)

Final

India  Flag of India.svg3–0Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal
Report
National Football Stadium, Malé
Referee: Majed Al-Shamrani (Saudi Arabia)

Champion

 SAFF Championship 2021 
Flag of India.svg
India
Eighth title

Awards

Most Valuable PlayerTop ScorerFair Play
Flag of India.svg Sunil Chhetri Flag of India.svg Sunil ChhetriFlag of Maldives.svg  Maldives

Goalscorers

There were 22 goals scored in 11 matches, for an average of 2 goals per match.

5 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

Source: Soccerway

Prize money

Prize money amounts were announced in 2021. [26]

PositionAmount (USD)
Champions50,000
Runner-up25,000
Total75,000

Broadcasting rights

CountryBroadcaster [27]
Flag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh T Sports
Flag of India.svg  India Eurosport [28]
Flag of Maldives.svg  Maldives Yes TV
Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal Action Sports [29]
Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka Supreme TV and Football SriLanka TV

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References

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  24. ↑ Mukherjee, Soham (9 September 2021). "SAFF Championship 2021: Everything you need to know". Goal. Archived from the original on 13 September 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  25. ↑ "SAFF Championship 2021". SofaScore. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  26. ↑ "SAFF Championship 2021 Awards And Winners". Sportsgrail. 17 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  27. ↑ "SAFF Championship 2021: Fixtures, Results, Telecast and more". Khel Now. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
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  29. ↑ "Nepal games in SAFF Championship to be broadcasted live in Action Sports". ANFA. All Nepal Football Association. Archived from the original on 4 October 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
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