SAFF Championships 2023: Full schedule, teams, live streaming, format, squad, how to watch

Why you are reading this:  The SAFF Championship 2023 (South Asian Football Federation Championship) will start from June 21 to July 4, 2023, with the fixtures taking place at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium. India will be hosting the second international football tournament of the year after they hosted the Hero Intercontinental Cup 2023 in Odisha. 

3 things you need to know 

• The first edition of the SAFF Championships was organized in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1993.
• India is the most successful team in SAFF history with 8 titles.
• SAFF’s first name was SAARC (South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation) Gold Cup.

How many teams are participating in the SAFF Championships 2023? 

The SAFF 2023 tournament features eight teams, which are split into two groups of four. In their respective groups, Groups A (India, Kuwait, Nepal, Pakistan) and Group B (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Lebanon, Maldives) will compete against one another. For Group A and B, the top two teams will advance to the semifinals. 

The competing teams for the SAFF Championship in 2023 are listed below.  

• India (Host)- FIFA Ranking 101
• Kuwait- FIFA Ranking 143
• Nepal- FIFA Ranking 174
• Pakistan-FIFA Ranking 195
• Bangladesh-FIFA Ranking 192
• Bhutan-FIFA Ranking 185
• Lebanon- FIFA Ranking 99
• Maldives-FIFA Ranking 154

Also Read: Odisha CM To Give Rs 1 Crore To Indian Football Team For Intercontinental Cup Victory

What is the format of the SAFF Championships 2023?

The event features eight teams divided into two groups of four each: Group A (India, Kuwait, Nepal, and Pakistan) and Group B (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Lebanon, and Maldives). Each squad will face off against the other teams in their group. The top two teams from Groups A and B will advance to the semifinals.

The semifinal format is as follows:

• Semi-Final 1 - Group A Winner vs Group B Runners Up
• Semi-Final 2 - Group B Winner vs Group A Runners Up

The winners of the semifinals will meet in the final to battle it out for the title.

Also Read: Intercontinental Cup: Sunil Chhetri, Chhangte Goals Lead India To Become Champions

SAFF Championships 2023 Schedule

On June 21, two eagerly anticipated matches—Kuwait vs. Nepal and India vs. Pakistan—will kick off the SAFF Championship. Here is the complete SAFF Championships 2023 Schedule.

• June 21 Kuwait vs Nepal, 3:30 PM
• June 21 India vs Pakistan, 7:30 PM
• June 22 Lebanon vs Bangladesh, 3:30 PM
• June 22 Maldives vs Bhutan, 7:30 PM
• June 24 Pakistan vs Kuwait, 3:30 PM
• June 24 India vs Nepal, 7:30 PM
• June 25 Bangladesh vs Maldives, 3:30 PM
• June 25 Bhutan vs Lebanon, 7:30 PM
• June 27 Nepal vs Pakistan, 3:30 PM
• June 27 India vs Kuwait, 7:30 PM
• June 28 Lebanon vs Maldives, 3:30 PM
• June 28 Bhutan vs Bangladesh, 7:30 PM
• July 1 Semifinal 1 - Group A Winner vs Group B Runners Up, 3:30 PM
• July 1 Semifinal 2 - Group B Winner vs Group A Runners Up, 7:30 PM
• July 4 Final: Winner of Semifinal 1 vs Winner of Semifinal 2, 7:30 PM

How to watch the 2023 SAFF Championships?

All SAFF Championship 2023 matches will be exclusively live-streamed on the FanCode app/website.

What is India's squad for the SAFF Championships 2023?

Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh

Defenders: Subhasish Bose, Pritam Kotal, Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Akash Mishra, Mehtab Singh and Rahul Bheke.

Midfielders: Liston Colaco, Ashique Kuruniyan, Rohit Kumar, Udanta Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Nikhil Poojary, Jeakson Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad, Lalengmawia Ralte, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rowllin Borges and Nandha Kumar.

Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Rahim Ali and Ishan Pandita.