SAFF Championship
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "about". Template:Short descriptionScript error: No such module "Infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Template:Season sidebar
The SAFF Championship (erstwhile SAARC Gold Cup and SAFF Gold Cup), is the primary association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF), determining the sub-continental champion of South Asia.
History
India is most successful team of this region. They won the title 9 times which is 7 times more than second most successful team Maldives (having won 2 times). Total countries that currently compete in the tournaments are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It is held every two years.[1] Afghanistan joined SAFF in 2005 and left the association in 2015 to become a founding member of Central Asian Football Association (CAFA).
The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship kicked off in Lahore in 1993, evolving out of its forerunner, the South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation (SAARC) Gold Cup. Since its inception, the biennial competition has developed into South Asia's premier football tournament, promoting the regional development of the game. The SAFF Championship 2001 was first postponed from Oct/Nov 2001 to Jan/Feb 2002 due to the suspension of the Bangladesh Football Federation from FIFA; the tournament finally took place in 2003. The 2018 edition was hosted by Bangladesh.[2]
The 2021 edition of the tournament was postponed twice to October 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]
Organisation
Sports marketing, media, and event management firm, Sportfive (formerly Lagardère Sports) has been involved in the tournament since 2025.[4]
Title sponsorship
| Period | Sponsor | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | No title sponsor | SAARC Gold Cup |
| 1995 | Ceylon Tobacco Company | Bristol SAARC Gold Cup |
| 1997 | No title sponsor | SAFF Gold Cup |
| 1999 | Coca-Cola | SAFF Coca-Cola Cup |
| 2003–2005 | No title sponsor | SAFF Gold Cup |
| 2008 | SAFF Championship | |
| 2009 | BEXIMCO | Bangabandhu SAFF Championship |
| 2011 | Karbonn | Karbonn SAFF Championship |
| 2013 | No title sponsor | SAFF Championship |
| 2015–2018 | Suzuki | SAFF Suzuki Cup |
| 2021 | Ooredoo | Ooredoo SAFF Championship |
| 2023 | Bashundhara Group | Bangabandhu SAFF Championship |
| Source: GSA | ||
Results
.svg){kind=link}
.svg){kind=link}
Statistics
Performance by nation
| Nation | Champions | Runners-up | Third-place | Fourth-place | Semi-finalists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Flag of India.svg India | 9 (1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009,Template:Efn 2011, 2015, 2021, 2023) | 4 (1995, 2008, 2013, 2018) | 1 (2003) | – | – |
| File:Flag of Maldives.svg Maldives | 2 (2008, 2018) | 3 (1997, 2003, 2009) | 2 (1999, 2021) | – | 4 (2005, 2011, 2013, 2015) |
| File:Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh | 1 (2003) | 2 (1999, 2005) | 1 (1995) | 1 (2021) | 3 (1995, 2009, 2023) |
| File:Flag of Afghanistan (2013–2021).svg Afghanistan* | 1 (2013) | 2 (2011, 2015) | – | – | – |
| File:Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka | 1 (1995) | 1 (1993) | – | 1 (1997) | 3 (2008, 2009, 2015) |
| File:Flag of Nepal.svg Nepal | – | 1 (2021) | 1 (1993) | 2 (1995, 1999) | 3 (2011, 2013, 2018) |
| File:Flag of Kuwait.svg Kuwait3 | – | 1 (2023) | – | – | – |
| File:Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan | – | – | 1 (1997) | 2 (1993, 2003) | 2 (2005, 2018) |
| File:Flag of Bhutan.svg Bhutan | – | – | – | – | 1 (2008) |
| File:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon3 | – | – | – | – | 1 (2023) |
- Bold = Hosts
- * = No longer SAFF member
- 3 = Invited as guest teams from WAFF
Participating nations
- Legend
<templatestyles src="Div col/styles.css"/>
- Template:Bg – Champions
- Template:Bg – Runners-up
- Template:Bg – Third place
- Template:Bg – Fourth place
- Template:Bg – Semifinals1
- GS – Group stage
- DQ – Disqualified/Suspended by FIFA/AFC/SAFF.
- Q – Qualified for upcoming tournament
- — Hosts
- × – Did not enter
- × – Withdrew before tournament begins
- Template:Bg — Not part of SAFF
Script error: No such module "anchor".1The third-place match was not played in 1995 and has not been played 2003 onwards.
Script error: No such module "anchor".2Including India U23 team.
Script error: No such module "anchor".3Left SAFF and joined CAFA in 2015.
Script error: No such module "anchor".4Invited as a guest team from the WAFF.
All-time table
- As of 4 July 2023Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"..
| Rank | Team | Part | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | File:Flag of India.svg India1 | 14 | 62 | 39 | 15 | 8 | 108 | 38 | +70 | 132 |
| 2 | File:Flag of Maldives.svg Maldives | 12 | 50 | 25 | 11 | 14 | 98 | 52 | +46 | 86 |
| 3 | File:Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh | 13 | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 52 | 47 | +5 | 66 |
| 4 | File:Flag of Nepal.svg Nepal | 14 | 46 | 14 | 7 | 25 | 51 | 68 | −17 | 49 |
| 5 | File:Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka | 13 | 41 | 13 | 7 | 21 | 48 | 65 | −17 | 46 |
| 6 | File:Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan | 12 | 39 | 12 | 8 | 19 | 32 | 51 | −19 | 44 |
| 7 | File:Flag of Afghanistan (2013–2021).svg Afghanistan | 7 | 27 | 12 | 4 | 11 | 48 | 42 | +6 | 40 |
| 8 | File:Flag of Kuwait.svg Kuwait | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 11 |
| 9 | File:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 10 |
| 10 | File:Flag of Bhutan.svg Bhutan | 9 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 15 | 102 | −87 | 4 |
Script error: No such module "anchor".1Including India U23 team.
Top goal scorers by edition
Overall top goal scorers
- As of 27 June 2023Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
| Rank | Nation | Player | Goals scored |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Template:Flagicon | Sunil Chhetri | 23 |
| Template:Flagicon | Ali Ashfaq | ||
| 3 | Template:Flagicon | Bhaichung Bhutia | 12 |
| 4 | Template:Flagicon | Ibrahim Fazeel | 10 |
| Template:Flagicon | Ahmed Thariq |
Winning coaches
Script error: No such module "Multiple image".
See also
- SAFF Women's Championship
- AFC Asian Cup
- Football at the Asian Games
- ASEAN Championship
- CAFA Championship
- EAFF E-1 Football Championship
- WAFF Championship
- Sub-continental football championships in Asia
- Football at the South Asian Games
- SABA Championship
- CAVA Men's Volleyball Nations League
Notes
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
External links
- Script error: No such module "Official website".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- RSSSF page on the South Asian Federation Cup
- South Asia Football–Complete SAFF website
- SAFF Championship winners since 1993
Script error: No such module "Navbox". Template:SAFF Championship Template:SAFF Football