2023 CAFA U-20 Championship

the 2023 CAFA U-20 Championship is the first edition of the CAFA U-20 Championship, an international youth football championship organised by CAFA for the men's under-20 national teams of Central Asia. Tajikistan hosted the tournament between 21 and 28 May 2023.^[1] A total of five teams are playing in the tournament, with players born on or after 1 January 2003 eligible to participate.

2023 CAFA U-20 Championship

Tournament details
Host country	Tajikistan
City	Dushanbe Tursunzoda
Dates	21–28 May
Teams	5 (from 1 sub-confederation)
Venue(s)	(CSKA Polytechnic Stadium, TALCO Arena), (in 2 host cities)
Final positions
Champions	Uzbekistan (1st), (1title)
Runners-up	Iran (2nd)
Third place	Tajikistan (3rd)
Fourth place	Afghanistan (4th)
Tournament statistics
Matches played	10
Goals scored	44 (4.4 per match)
Attendance	13,309 (1,331 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Reza Mirzayan (6 goals)
Best player(s)	Muhammadali Urinboev (2 goals)
Fair play award	Afghanistan
2024 →

Participating nations

A total of 5 (out of 6) CAFA member national teams entered the tournament.

Team	Appearance
Afghanistan	1st
Iran	1st
Tajikistan	1st
Turkmenistan	1st
Uzbekistan	1st

Did not enter

•  Kyrgyzstan

Venues

Matches were held at the CSKA Polytechnic Stadium and TALCO Arena.

Dushanbe	Dushanbe 2023 CAFA U-20 Championship (Tajikistan)
CSKA Polytechnic Stadium
Capacity: ?
Tursunzoda	Tursunzoda 2023 CAFA U-20 Championship (Tajikistan)
TALCO Arena
Capacity: 13,770

Match officials

Referees

• Ashraf Hussainzada
• Arab Baraghi Amir
• Abdullo Davlatov
• Arslan Goshanov
• Firdavs Norsafarov

Assistant referees

• Nangyali Sadat

Squads

Main article: 2023 CAFA U-20 Championship squads

Main tournament

The main tournament schedule was announced on 16 May 2023.^[2]

All times are local TJT (UTC+5).

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Final result
1	Uzbekistan	4	3	1	0	17	5	+12	10	Champions
2	Iran	4	3	0	1	11	5	+6	9	Runners-up
3	Tajikistan (H)	4	1	2	1	7	6	+1	5	Third place
4	Afghanistan	4	1	1	2	4	10	−6	4
5	Turkmenistan	4	0	0	4	5	18	−13	0

Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: CAFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(H) Hosts

Uzbekistan	3–2	Iran
Komilov 25' Urinboev 41' Akhmadjonov 69'	Report	Mirzayan 23', 36'

21 May 2023 (2023-05-21)

17:00

TALCO Arena, Tursunzoda

Attendance: 1217

Referee: Abdullo Davlatov (Tajikistan)

Turkmenistan	1–2	Afghanistan
Esenov 48' Annaev 52'	Report	Alizada 46' Kohi 84'

21 May 2023 (2023-05-21)

17:00

CSKA Polytechnic Stadium, Dushanbe

Attendance: 173

Referee: Firdavs Norsafarov (Uzbekistan)

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Afghanistan	1–1	Tajikistan
Amin 48'	Report	Gafurov 28'

22 May 2023 (2023-05-22)

17:00

TALCO Arena, Tursunzoda

Attendance: 2150

Referee: Arslan Goshanov (Uzbekistan)

Turkmenistan	2–9	Uzbekistan
Esenov 62' Esenov 62', 87'	Report	Ibraimov 4' Bekmurotov 16' Haydarov 28' (pen.), 41', 45', 59', 84' Komilov 33', 52'

22 May 2023 (2023-05-22)

17:00

CSKA Polytechnic Stadium, Dushanbe

Attendance: 67

Referee: Arab Baraghi Amir (Iran)

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Tajikistan	4–2	Turkmenistan
Oriyonmekhri 12' Naimov 15' Muhammadjoni 30', 35' Gafurov 82'	Report	Kadyrov 18' Nigmatullozoda 25' (o.g.)

24 May 2023 (2023-05-24)

17:00

TALCO Arena, Tursunzoda

Attendance: 2650

Referee: Ashraf Hussainzada (Afghanistan)

Iran	4–1	Afghanistan
Sadeghi 38' Mirzayan 43' Mazraï 63' Atashgah 79'	Report	Alizada 67'

24 May 2023 (2023-05-24)

17:00

CSKA Polytechnic Stadium, Dushanbe

Attendance: 82

Referee: Abdullo Davlatov (Tajikistan)

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Uzbekistan	1–1	Tajikistan
Urinboev 43' Urinboev 90+4' (pen.)	Report	Khudjaev 90' Ismoilov  90+5'

26 May 2023 (2023-05-26)

17:00

TALCO Arena, Tursunzoda

Attendance: 3100

Referee: Arab Baraghi Amir (Iran)

Iran	3–0	Turkmenistan
Mirzayan 69', 75' Atashgah 82'	Report	Esenov  62'

26 May 2023 (2023-05-26)

17:00

CSKA Polytechnic Stadium, Dushanbe

Attendance: 220

Referee: Firdavs Norsafarov (Uzbekistan)

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Afghanistan	0–4	Uzbekistan
	Report	Odilov 18', 40' Tukhsanov 40' Ibraimov 87'

28 May 2023 (2023-05-28)

10:30

CSKA Polytechnic Stadium, Dushanbe

Attendance: 150

Referee: Abdullo Davlatov (Tajikistan)

Tajikistan	1–2	Iran
Khudjaev 74'	Report	Mirzayan 16' Kharizi 28'

28 May 2023 (2023-05-28)

17:00

TALCO Arena, Tursunzoda

Attendance: 3500

Referee: Firdavs Norsafarov (Uzbekistan)

Player awards

The following awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament:

The ranking for the Top Goalscorer was determined using the following criteria: goals, assists and fewest minutes played.

Top Goalscorer	Best player	Fair Play award	Special award
Reza Mirzayan (6 goals)	Muhammadali Urinboev	Afghanistan	Turkmenistan

Goalscorers

There were 44 goals scored in 10 matches, for an average of 4.4 goals per match.

6 goals

• Reza Mirzayan

5 goals

• Abdugafur Haydarov

3 goals

• Gurbenmuhammad Esenov
• Murodjon Komilov

2 goals

• Farhad Alizada
• Mirmahdi Mahdavi Atashgah
• Masrur Gafurov
• Torhi Muhammadjoni
• Bekhruz Khudjaev
• Muhammadali Urinboev
• Temur Odilov
• Nurlan Ibraimov

1 goal

• Enayatullah Kohi
• Homayoun Amin
• Afshin Sadeghi
• Youssef Mazraï
• Abbas Kahrizi
• Abdalla Kadyrov
• Nuriddin Oriyonmekhri
• Narminjon Akhmadjonov
• Alijon Bekmurotov
• Daler Tukhsanov

1 own goal

• Barakatullo Nigmatullozoda (against Turkmenistan)

Source: CAFA