2018 CAFA U-15 Championship

The 2018 CAFA U-15 Championship was the second edition of the CAFA U-15 Championship, the international youth football championship organized by CAFA for the men's under-15 national teams of Central Asia. Uzbekistan was hosting the tournament. All 6 CAFA teams entered the tournament, with players born on or after 1 January 2003 eligible to participate.

2018 CAFA U-15 Championship

Tournament details
Host country	Uzbekistan
City	Tashkent
Dates	20–31 July
Teams	6 (from 1 sub-confederation)
Venue(s)	3 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions	Iran (1st title)
Runners-up	Uzbekistan
Third place	Tajikistan
Fourth place	Afghanistan
Tournament statistics
Matches played	15
Goals scored	39 (2.6 per match)
Attendance	1,714 (114 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Mehran Nafari Oblayorbek Rahmatov (4 goals each)
Best player(s)	Mehran Nafari
Best goalkeeper	Aria Hoseinifar
Fair play award	Kyrgyzstan
← 2017 2021 →

Afghanistan were the defending champions having inaugural competition in 2017.^[1] but failed to retain their title after suffering two losses to Tajikistan and debutant Iran, who ultimately won the trophy unbeaten.^[2]

Participating teams

All 6 CAFA nations entered the competition, with Iran making their debut after missing last year's edition.^[3][4]

Team	App.	Previous best performance
Afghanistan[1]	2nd	Champions (2017)
Iran	1st	Debut
Kyrgyzstan	2nd	Fourth place (2017)
Tajikistan[3]	2nd	Fifth place (2017)
Turkmenistan[4]	2nd	Third place (2017)
Uzbekistan	2nd	Runners-up (2017)

Venues

The tournaments matches were held at three venues located throughout the capital city Tashkent.^[5]

Tashkent			Tashkent 2018 CAFA U-15 Championship (Uzbekistan)
Lokomotiv Stadium	National Stadium	Pakhtakor Stadium
Capacity: 8,000	Capacity: 33,834	Capacity: 35,000

Squads

Main article: 2018 CAFA U-15 Championship squads

Main tournament

The final tournament schedule was announced on 14 July 2018.^[6]

All times are local TUZ (UTC+5).

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Final result
1	Iran	5	5	0	0	12	0	+12	15	Champions
2	Uzbekistan (H)	5	3	1	1	9	2	+7	10	Runners-up
3	Tajikistan	5	3	0	2	7	6	+1	9	Third place
4	Afghanistan	5	2	1	2	5	5	0	7
5	Kyrgyzstan	5	1	0	4	5	8	−3	3
6	Turkmenistan	5	0	0	5	1	18	−17	0

Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: CAFA
(H) Hosts

Turkmenistan	1–4	Uzbekistan
Maksadow 70+2'	Report [7]	Kokhorjonov 8' Akramov 49' Rahmatov 54', 64'

22 July 2018 (2018-07-22)

18:30

National Stadium, Tashkent

Attendance: 123

Referee: Amir Saman Soltani (Iran)

Kyrgyzstan	0–2	Iran
	Report [7]	Nafari 34' Afkhamkojaabadi 40'

22 July 2018 (2018-07-22)

21:00

National Stadium, Tashkent

Attendance: 54

Referee: Dzhumamurad Dzhumamuradov (Turkmenistan)

Afghanistan	0–3	Tajikistan
	Report [8]	Irgashev 10' (pen.) Mehruboni 22', 45'

22 July 2018 (2018-07-22)

21:00

Stadium of the Transport Institute, Tashkent

Attendance: 75

Referee: Asker Najafaliev (Uzbekistan)

---

Uzbekistan	3–0	Tajikistan
Akramov 16', 26' Khudzhamberdiev 61'	Report [9]

24 July 2018 (2018-07-24)

18:30

Pakhtakor Stadium, Tashkent

Attendance: 248

Referee: Halim Aqa Sherzad (Afghanistan)

Afghanistan	2–1	Kyrgyzstan
Barati 27' Hussaini 35+1'	Report [9]	Sharshenbekov 56'

24 July 2018 (2018-07-24)

21:00

Pakhtakor Stadium, Tashkent

Attendance: 248

Referee: Abdullo Davlatov (Tajikistan)

Turkmenistan	0–5	Iran
	Report [9]	Nafari 3', 24' Karimi 22', 29', 61'

24 July 2018 (2018-07-24)

21:00

Stadium of the Transport Institute, Tashkent

Attendance: 63

Referee: Kiyomiddin Piriev (Kyrgyzstan)

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Tajikistan	2–0	Turkmenistan
Olimzoda 48' Mehruboni 64'	Report [10]

26 July 2018 (2018-07-26)

18:30

National Stadium, Tashkent

Attendance: 73

Referee: Kiyomiddin Piriev (Kyrgyzstan)

Iran	1–0	Afghanistan
Mohammadi 14'	Report [10]

26 July 2018 (2018-07-26)

21:00

National Stadium, Tashkent

Attendance: 67

Referee: Asker Najafaliev (Uzbekistan)

Uzbekistan	2–0	Kyrgyzstan
Rahmatov 41', 52'	Report [10]

26 July 2018 (2018-07-26)

21:00

Stadium of the Transport Institute, Tashkent

Attendance: 140

Referee: Dzhumamurad Dzhumamuradov (Turkmenistan)

---

Kyrgyzstan	0–2	Tajikistan
	Report [11]	Saidov 23' Akramov 31'

28 July 2018 (2018-07-28)

18:30

National Stadium, Tashkent

Attendance: 100

Referee: Asker Najafaliev (Uzbekistan)

Iran	1–0	Uzbekistan
Rostami 33'	Report [11]

28 July 2018 (2018-07-28)

21:00

National Stadium, Tashkent

Attendance: 473

Referee: Halim Aqa Sherzad (Afghanistan)

Afghanistan	3–0	Turkmenistan
Hussaini 56', 58' Amiri 63'	Report [11]

28 July 2018 (2018-07-28)

21:00

National Stadium, Tashkent

Attendance: 50

Referee: Abdullo Davlatov (Tajikistan)

---

Tajikistan	0–3	Iran
	Report [12]	Nafari 31' Asgharikebria 63', 67'

30 July 2018 (2018-07-30)

18:30

Stadium of the Transport Institute, Tashkent

Referee: Kiyomiddin Piriev (Kyrgyzstan)

Uzbekistan	0–0	Afghanistan

30 July 2018 (2018-07-30)

21:00

National Stadium, Tashkent

Turkmenistan	0–4	Kyrgyzstan
	Report [13]	Ilichbek Uulu ??', ??' Tynybekov ??' Beishebai Uulu ??'

30 July 2018 (2018-07-30)

21:00

Stadium of the Transport Institute, Tashkent

Goalscorers

There were 39 goals scored in 15 matches, for an average of 2.6 goals per match.

4 goals

• Mehran Nafari
• Oblayorbek Rahmatov

3 goals

• Ahmad Zakaria Hussaini
• Arshia Karimi
• Abdurauf Mehruboni
• Shakhzod Akramov

2 goals

• Arif Asgharikebria
• Atai Ilichbek Uulu

1 goal

• Mohammad Sadiq Barati
• Ramin Amiri
• Alireza Afkhamkojaabadi
• Mohammadmehdi Mohammadi
• Yadegar Rostami
• Arsen Sharshenbekov
• Yryskeldi Tynybekov
• Beikunt Beishebai Uulu
• Salokhiddin Irgashev
• Firdavsi Olimzoda
• Muib Saidov
• Davlatbek Akramov
• Begenç Maksadow
• Murodbek Khudzhamberdiev
• Asadbek Kokhorjonov

Source: CAFA

Awards

The following awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament:^[14]

Top Goalscorer	Best player	Best goalkeeper
Oblayorbek Rahmatov	Mehran Nafari	Aria Hoseinifar
Fair Play award	Special award	Fans award
Kyrgyzstan	Turkmenistan	Afghanistan

References

1. "U-15 Football Team Leaves Kabul for Asian Competition". tolonews.com. 19 July 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
2. "کافا ۲۰۱۸/ایران قهرمان شد" [CAFA 2018/Iran are the champions]. iranleague.ir (in Persian). 1 August 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
3. "Юношеская сборная Таджикистана (U-15) по футболу примет участие в чемпионате CAFA" [The youth national football team of Tajikistan (U-15) will participate in the CAFA Championship.]. khovar.tj (in Russian). 13 July 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
4. "Юношеская сборная Туркменистана (U-15) примет участие в стартующем в Ташкенте чемпионате CAFA" [The youth national football team of Turkmenistan (U-15) will participate in the upcoming CAFA Championship starting in Tashkent.]. turkmenportal.com (in Russian). 21 July 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
5. "Youth team of Turkmenistan to perform at CAFA championship". orient.tm. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
6. "Tashkent to host CAFA U-15 Championship 2018 - Fixtures". sports.uz. 14 July 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
7. https://fft.tj/yunoshi-tadzhikistana-startovali-v-chempionate-cafa-s-krupnoj-pobedy-nad-afganistanom/
8. https://fft.tj/chempionat-cafa-fotoobzor-matcha-afganistan-u-15-tadzhikistan-u-15-0-3/
9. https://fft.tj/chempionat-cafa-yunoshi-tadzhikistana-ustupili-uzbekistanu-vo-vtorom-ture/
10. https://fft.tj/yunosheskaya-sbornaya-tadzhikistana-oderzhala-vtoruyu-pobedu-v-chempionate-cafa/
11. https://fft.tj/chempionat-cafa-yunoshi-tadzhikistana-igraya-vdevyaterom-obygrali-kyrgyzstan/
12. https://fft.tj/yunosheskaya-sbornaya-tadzhikistana-u-15-bronzovyj-prizyor-chempionata-cafa/
13. https://turkmenportal.com/blog/15350/turkmenskie-futbolisty-zanyali-poslednee-mesto-na-chempionate-cafa-u15-v-uzbekistane
14. "Юношеская сборная Таджикистана (U-15) – бронзовый призёр чемпионата CAFA" [Youth national team of Tajikistan (U-15) - bronze medalist of the CAFA Championship]. fft.tj (in Russian). Tajikistan Football Federation. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2024.

External links

• Official website