The 2023 SAFF Championship was the 14th edition of the SAFF Championship, organised by South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). The football tournament was held at Shree Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore, India from 21st June to 4th July 2023. Various National teams from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka came to grace the championship. The series of tournaments were held with the spirit of healthy competition.
India, the defending champions, won their ninth championship by defeating Kuwait in the final. The match ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time, with India winning 5-4 on penalties. We could view the amazing gameplay live in India on DD Bharati and FanCode. While there were about 30,000 people present as live audience at the stadium.
Is the SAFF Championship held every year?
India has won the SAFF Championship a record nine times, more than any other team. Bangladesh has won the tournament twice, while Maldives and Nepal have each won it once.
| Team | Titles |
| India | 9 |
| Bangladesh | 2 |
| Maldives | 2 |
| Nepal | 1 |
India’s Pride: Highlights of the 9th Win
- India’s Sunil Chhetri won the Golden Boot award for scoring 7 goals in the tournament.
- Nepal’s Roshan Rana Magar won the Golden Glove award for keeping 3 clean sheets in the tournament.
- India’s Manvir Singh won the Player of the Tournament award.
- Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was named the best goalkeeper of the tournament.
- India won their ninth title, extending their record in the tournament.
- India’s 5-4 penalty shootout victory over Kuwait in the final was one of the most exciting matches in the tournament’s history.
In which year did India win SAFF Championship
- 1st win in the year 1993
- 2nd win in the year 1997
- 3rd win in the year 1999
- 4th win in the year 2005
- 5th win in the year 2009
- 6th win in the year 2011
- 7th win in the year 2015
- 8th win in the year 2021
- 9th win in the year 2023
After the glorious win Indian Football team posted a tweet on Twitter. Hereby we have added the same.
Sunil Chhetri was the star of the match for India, scoring the team’s goal in regulation time and converting his penalty in the shootout. He is also the all-time leading scorer in SAFF Championship history, with 23 goals. The win was a major boost for Indian football, and it came at a time when the team is looking to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. India is currently ranked 100th in the FIFA rankings, and they will need to improve their ranking if they want to qualify for the World Cup. The 2023 SAFF Championship was a successful tournament for India, and it will be hoping to build on this success in the future.