2009 SAFF Championship

2009 SAFF Championship
Tournament details
Host countryBangladesh
Dates4–13 December
Teams8
Venue(s)1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions India (5th title)
Runners-up Maldives
Tournament statistics
Matches played15
Goals scored42 (2.8 per match)
Top scorer(s)Bangladesh Enamul Haque
Maldives Ahmed Thariq
Sri Lanka Channa Ediri Bandanage
(4 goals each)
Best player(s)India Arindam Bhattacharya
← 2008
2011 →
All statistics correct as of 30 March 2019.
International football competition

The 2009 South Asian Football Federation Championship was hosted by Bangladesh from 4 to 13 December 2009. Bangladesh was awarded to host the tournament after the withdrawal of original hosts India.[1][2][3]

After India's reluctance to host the tournament, in May 2009, at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president Kazi Salahuddin on his return from the AFC Congress informed that although India were still retaining their status as hosts of the championship, Bangladesh and Nepal had turned in fresh bids in anticipation of staging this prestigious eight-nation meet.

A decision was taken at the FIFA Congress in Bahamas in the first week of June[4] but no announcement was officially made. In July, with the tournament drawing ever closer, media reports once again suggested that the tournament would be moved once again to Bangladesh, as Pakistan would struggle to obtain visas if the tournament is hosted in India.[5]

On 31 August 2009, it was reported that the tournament would be held in Bangladesh, after the Indian football association (AIFF) had its annual congress at the end of August. This was formally confirmed by the AFC on 10 September through a press release.[6]

Venue

The Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka was the only venue for the tournament. It is also home venue for Bangladesh national football team.

Dhaka
Bangabandhu National Stadium
Capacity: 36,000

Squads

Draw

The draw for the tournament was made on 3 October 2009.[7] India took part with their U-23 team[8]

Group A Group B

 Afghanistan (unseeded)
 India U23 (1st seed)
 Maldives (2nd seed)
   Nepal (unseeded)

 Bangladesh (1st seed)
 Bhutan (unseeded)
 Pakistan (unseeded)
 Sri Lanka (2nd seed)

Group stage

Group A

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Maldives 3 2 1 0 6 2 +4 7
 India U23 3 2 0 1 2 2 0 6
   Nepal 3 1 1 1 4 2 +2 4
 Afghanistan 3 0 0 3 1 7 −6 0
Source: RSSSF
Maldives 1–1   Nepal
Thariq 61' Report J.M. Rai 68'
India U23 1–0 Afghanistan
Lalpekhlua 86' Report
Maldives 3–1 Afghanistan
Thariq 52'
Ashfaq 69', 89'		 Report Barakzai 30'
India U23 1–0   Nepal
Sushil 18' Report
Afghanistan 0–3   Nepal
Report A. Gurung 55', 73'
B. Gurung 56'
Maldives 2–0 India U23
Thariq 15'
Fazeel 82'		 Report

Group B

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Bangladesh 3 2 1 0 6 2 +4 7
 Sri Lanka 3 2 0 1 8 2 +6 6
 Pakistan 3 1 1 1 7 1 +6 4
 Bhutan 3 0 0 3 1 17 −16 0
Source: RSSSF
Sri Lanka 1–0 Pakistan
Gunarathne 23' Report
Bangladesh 4–1 Bhutan
Pranotosh 11'
Enamul 22', 51'
Ameli 72'		 Report Dendup 42' (pen.)
Sri Lanka 6–0 Bhutan
Channa 7', 25'
Kasun 39', 66', 78'
Gunarathne 90'		 Report
Bangladesh 0–0 Pakistan
Report
Pakistan 7–0 Bhutan
Essa 21', 54'
Ashraf 23'
Mehmood 28', 35', 66'
S. Khan 45'		 Report
Bangladesh 2–1 Sri Lanka
Enamul 8', 64' Report
Report		 Channa 42'

Knockout stage

 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
11 Dec – Dhaka
 
 
 Maldives5
 
13 Dec – Dhaka
 
 Sri Lanka1
 
 Maldives 0 (1)
 
11 Dec – Dhaka
 
 India U230 (3)
 
 Bangladesh0
 
 
 India U231
 

Semi-finals

Maldives 5–1 Sri Lanka
Thariq 21'
Fazeel 63', 85' (pen.)
Ashfaq 76'
Ashad 87'		 Report Channa 62'
Bangladesh 0–1 India U23
Report Sushil 63'

Final

Maldives 0–0 (a.e.t.) India U23
Report
Penalties
Fazeel soccer ball with check mark
Thariq soccer ball with red X
Mukhthar soccer ball with red X
Ashfaq soccer ball with red X		 1–3 soccer ball with check mark Jibon
soccer ball with check mark Denzil
soccer ball with red X Nirmal
soccer ball with check mark Subodh

Champion

 SAFF Championship 2009 

India
Fifth title

Goalscorers

4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal

References

  1. ^ "20-member squad for SAFF Championship". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  2. ^ "India beat Maldivies to lift SAFF Cup". Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  3. ^ "SAFF Championship 2009 Bangladesh Group Stage". Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  4. ^ "BFF bids for SAFF meet". The Daily Star. Bangladesh. 12 May 2009.
  5. ^ http://www.indianfootball.com/en/news/articleId/1267 | SAFF Cup 2009 to be shifted?
  6. ^ "Bangladesh to host SAFF Championship". The-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 10 September 2009. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
  7. ^ "Hosts avoid India". The Daily Star. Bangladesh. 4 October 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
  8. ^ "Indian Football". Archived from the original on 2009-10-25. Retrieved 2009-11-02.