SAFF U-20 Championship

SAFF U-20 Championship
Founded	2015
Region	South Asia (SAFF)
Number of teams	7
Current champions	Bangladesh ; (1st title)
Most successful team(s)	India ; (3 titles)
	2024 SAFF U-20 Championship

The SAFF U-18/U-19/U-20 Championship is a biennial football championship for male footballers under the age of 20 and is organized by the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). The championship was held for the first time in August 2015 in Nepal.^[1] The tournaments are held just before AFC U-19 Championship qualification matches, keeping in mind about proper preparation for that.^[2]

Results

U18 Category

Year	Host	Final			Third place match/Semi-finalists
Year	Host	Champion	Score	Runner-up	Third place	Score	Fourth place
2017 Details	Bhutan	Nepal	RR	Bangladesh	India	RR	Bhutan
2019 Details	Nepal	India	2–1	Bangladesh	Maldives	1–0	Bhutan

U19 Category

Year	Host	Final			Third place match/Semi-finalists
Year	Host	Champion	Score	Runner-up	Third place	Score	Fourth place
2015 Details	Nepal	Nepal	1–1 (5–4 p)	India	Afghanistan and Bangladesh
2023 Details	Nepal	India	3–0	Pakistan	Bhutan and Nepal

U20 Category

Year	Host	Final			Third place match/Semi-finalists
Year	Host	Champion	Score	Runner-up	Third place	Score	Fourth place
2022 Details	India	India	5–2 (a.e.t.)	Bangladesh	Nepal	RR	Maldives
2024 Details	Nepal	Bangladesh	4–1	Nepal	Bhutan and India

Participating nations

Legend

1st – Champions
2nd – Runners-up
3rd – Third place
4th – Fourth place
5th – Fifth place^[a]
SF – Semifinals^[b]
GS – Group stage
q – Qualified for upcoming tournament
— Hosts
× – Did not enter
• – Did not qualify
× – Withdrew before qualification
— Withdrew/Disqualified after qualification
— Not part of SAFF

Team	2015	2017	2019	2022	2023	2024	Total
Bangladesh	SF	2nd	2nd	2nd	GS	1st	6
Bhutan	GS	4th	4th	×	SF	SF	5
India	2nd	3rd	1st	1st	1st	SF	6
Maldives	GS	5th	3rd	4th	GS	GS	6
Nepal	1st	1st	GS	3rd	SF	2nd	6
Pakistan	×	×	×	×	2nd	×	1
Sri Lanka	×	×	GS	GS	×	GS	3
Former Team
Afghanistan	SF	Not a SAFF member					1

Statistics

Performance by nation

Nation	Champions	Runners-up	Third-place	Fourth-place	Semi-Finalists
India	3 (2019, 2022, 2023)	1 (2015)	1 (2017)	–	1 (2024)
Nepal	2 (2015, 2017)	1 (2024)	1 (2022)	–	1 (2023)
Bangladesh	1 (2024)	3 (2017, 2019, 2022)	–	–	1 (2015)
Pakistan	–	1 (2023)	–	–	–
Maldives	–	–	1 (2019)	1 (2022)	–
Bhutan	–	–	–	2 (2017, 2019)	2 (2023, 2024)
Afghanistan*	–	–	–	–	1 (2015)
Sri Lanka	–	–	–	–	–

Notes

^ Format of the 2017 tournament was single round-robin between the 5 participating teams. Nepal won the title on head-to-head rule of classification.^[3]
^ No third-place match was held in 2015 and 2023.

Awards

Tournament	Most Valuable Player	Top scorer(s)	Goals	Best Goalkeeper	Fair play award
2015	Not Awarded	Anjan Bista Bimal Magar	3		India
2017	Orgyen Tshering	Jafar Iqbal	5		Bhutan
2019	Ninthoinganba Meetei	Foysal Ahmed Fahim Tanvir Hossain Gurkirat Singh	2		Bhutan
2022	Gurkirat Singh	Gurkirat Singh	8		Sri Lanka
2023	Manglenthang Kipgen	Jigme Namgyel Gwgmsar Goyary Samir Tamang	3	Lionel Daryl Rymmei	Bhutan
2024	Mirajul Islam	Mirajul Islam	4	Md Asif	Nepal

References

^ "Nepal to Host First Ever SAFF U19 Championship From August 20–29". Goal Nepal. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
^ "SAFF U20 Championship 2022: Gurkirat Singh hat-trick powers Indian football team to title". Retrieved 14 September 2023.
^ "Format changed". The Daily Star. 10 September 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2017.

[2017_format-4] Format of the 2017 tournament was single round-robin between the 5 participating teams. Nepal won the title on head-to-head rule of classification.^[3]

[3rd_2015-5] No third-place match was held in 2015 and 2023.

[1] "Nepal to Host First Ever SAFF U19 Championship From August 20–29". Goal Nepal. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.

[2] "SAFF U20 Championship 2022: Gurkirat Singh hat-trick powers Indian football team to title". Retrieved 14 September 2023.

[3] "Format changed". The Daily Star. 10 September 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2017.

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