2017 SAFF U-18 Championship

The 2017 SAFF U-18 Championship was the 2nd edition of the SAFF U-18 Championship, an international football competition for men's under-18 national teams organized by SAFF. But since most teams use to send their U-18 team keeping in mind 2018 AFC U-19 Championship qualification it has been officially changed to U-18 tournament. The tournament was hosted by Bhutan 18–27 September 2017.^[1]

2017 SAFF U-18 Championship

Tournament details
Host country	Bhutan
Dates	18–27 September
Teams	5 (from 1 confederation)
Venue(s)	Changlimithang Stadium (in Thimphu host cities)
Final positions
Champions	Nepal (2nd title)
Runners-up	Bangladesh
Third place	India
Tournament statistics
Matches played	10
Goals scored	26 (2.6 per match)
Attendance	38,737 (3,874 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Jafar Iqbal (5 goals)
Best player(s)	Orgyen Tshering
Fair play award	Bhutan
← 2015 2019 →

It was the first time that Bhutan was hosting SAFF event.

Host selection

A draw for tournament ceremony was held on 10 July 2017 at conference room of Bangladesh Football Federation.

SAFF general secretary Anwarul Haque Helal and BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag, were among others present on the occasion.^[1]

Player eligibility

Players born on or after 1 January 1999 are eligible to compete in the tournament.

Participating teams

On 6 September 2017 it was announced that Sri Lanka withdrew from the tournament whereas Pakistan didn't take part due to internal turmoil.^[2]

Team	Appearances in the SAFF U-18 Championship	Previous best performance
Bangladesh	2nd	Semi finals (2015)
Bhutan (Host)	2nd	Group Stage
India	2nd	Runners-Up (2015)
Maldives	2nd	Group Stage
Nepal	2nd	Champion (2015)

Venue

Thimphu
Changlimithang Stadium
Capacity: 25,000
Thimphu

Match officials

Referees

• Abdur Rahman Dhali
• Ugyen Dorji
• Pratik Mondal
• Hussain Sinan
• Laba Khatri
• Farook M. Irshad

Assistant Referees

• Mohammad Shah Alam
• Phurpa Wangchuk
• Mohan Ravi
• Karma Yeshi
• Padam Bahadur Bhujel
• Sampath Liyanagunawardena

Referee Supervisor

• Tayeb Hasan Shamsuzzaman

Format

After Sri Lanka U18 opted out from the event. Now the championship will be played on round robin basis. Each team will face every other team once respectively and the team with the most points will win the title.^[3]

Standings

• All matches are played in Thimphu, Bhutan.^[4]
• Times listed are UTC+06:00.

Key to colours in group tables
	Champion

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Status
1	Nepal (C)	4	3	0	1	6	2	+4	9[a]	Champion
2	Bangladesh	4	3	0	1	9	5	+4	9[a]
3	India	4	2	0	2	8	7	+1	6
4	Bhutan (H)	4	2	0	2	2	5	−3	6
5	Maldives	4	0	0	4	1	7	−6	0

Source: Futbol24
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) goal difference; 5) number of goals scored;
(C) Champions; (H) Hosts
Notes:

1. Nepal ahead of Bangladesh on head-to-head points: Bangladesh 1–2 Nepal

Bangladesh	4–3	India
Jafar Iqbal 55', 90+1' Rahmat Mia 60' Mahbubur Rahman Sufil 74'	Report	18' Lalawmpuia 32' (pen.) Edmund Lalrindika 47' Princeton Rebello

18 September 2017

16:00 UTC+06:00

Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Attendance: 4633

Referee: Farook M. Irshad (Sri Lanka)

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Maldives	0–1	Bhutan
	Report	52' Orgyen Tshering

18 September 2017

19:00 UTC+06:00

Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Attendance: 3719

Referee: Abdur Rahman Dhali (Bangladesh)

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Bhutan	1–0	Nepal
Orgyen Tshering 87' (pen.)

20 September 2017

16:00 UTC+06:00

Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Attendance: 1800

Referee: Hussain Sinan (Maldives)

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Maldives	0–2	Bangladesh
		9' Saikot Mahmoud Munna 45' Jafar Iqbal

20 September 2017

19:00 UTC+06:00

Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Attendance: 1559

Referee: Ugyen Dorji (Bhutan)

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Nepal	2–0	Maldives
Roman Limbu 7' Rejin Subba 57'

22 September 2017

16:00 UTC+06:00

Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Attendance: 6511

Referee: Pratik Mondal (India)

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India	3–0	Bhutan
Lalawmpuia 38', 78' Asish Rai 90+1'

22 September 2017

19:00 UTC+06:00

Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Attendance: 4400

Referee: Laba Khatri (Nepal)

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India	2–1	Maldives
Princeton Rebello 37' Abhishek Halder 41'	Report	18' Ahmed Tholal

25 September 2017

16:00 UTC+06:00

Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Attendance: 3274

Referee: Abdur Rahman Dhali (Bangladesh)

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Bangladesh	1–2	Nepal
Mohammad Al-Amin 30'		22' Abhishek Rijal 80' Roman Limbu

25 September 2017

19:00 UTC+06:00

Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Attendance: 2513

Referee: Farook M. Irshad (Sri Lanka)

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Bhutan	0–2	Bangladesh
		83', 90' Jafar Iqbal

27 September 2017

16:00 UTC+06:00

Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Attendance: 4140

Referee: Laba Khatri (Nepal)

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Nepal	2–0	India
Dinesh Henjan 2', 37'

27 September 2017

19:00 UTC+06:00

Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Attendance: 6188

Referee: Ugyen Dorji (Bhutan)

Winner

2nd SAFF U-18 Championship 2017
Nepal Second title

Awards

The following awards were given for the 2017 SAFF U-18 Championship.

FIFA Fair Play Award		Golden Boot Award
Bhutan		Jafar Iqbal

Goalscorers

5 Goals

• Jafar Iqbal

3 Goals

• Lalawmpuia

2 Goals

• Orgyen Tshering
• Princeton Rebello
• Roman Limbu
• Dinesh Henjan

1 Goal

• Saikot Mahmoud Munna
• Rahmat Mia
• Mahbubur Rahman Sufil
• Edmund Lalrindika
• Asish Rai
• Rejin Subba
• Ahmed Tholal
• Abhishek Halder
• Abhishek Rijal
• Mohammad Al-Amin

References

1. "SAFF U18 Draw held". Daily Sun. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
2. "Sri Lanka withdraws its participation from SAFF U18 Championship". Goal Nepal. 6 September 2017.
3. "SAFF U18 Championship Format Changed". The Daily Star. 11 September 2017.
4. "SAFF U18 Championship To Be Played In Round Robin Format". Goal Nepal. 11 September 2017. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.