2009 SAFF Championship

2009 SAFF Championship
Tournament details
Host country Bangladesh
Dates 4 December – 13 December
Teams 8
Venue(s) 1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions  India (5th title)
Runners-up  Maldives
Tournament statistics
Matches played 15
Goals scored 42 (2.8 per match)
Top scorer(s) Bangladesh Enamul Haque
Maldives Ahmed Thariq
Sri Lanka E.B. Channa
(4 goals each)
Best player India Arindam Bhattacharya

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.

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[1] 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.[2]

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.[3]

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

Draw

The draw for the tournament was made on 3 October 2009.[4] India took part with their olympic team.[5]

Group A Group B

 Afghanistan (Unseeded)
 India 1 (1st Seed)
 Maldives (2nd Seed)
   Nepal (Unseeded)

 Bangladesh (1st Seed)
 Bhutan (Unseeded)
 Pakistan (Unseeded)
 Sri Lanka (2nd Seed)

1 India participated with their U-23 team.

Group stage

Group A

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Maldives 321062+47
 India 32012206
   Nepal 311142+24
 Afghanistan 300317−60

5 December 2009
16:00
Maldives  1–1    Nepal
Thariq  61' Report J.M. Rai  68'

7 December 2009
16:00
Maldives  3–1  Afghanistan
Thariq  52'
Ashfaq  69', 89'
Report Barakzai  30'

7 December 2009
18:00
India  1–0    Nepal
Sushil  18' Report

9 December 2009
16:00
Afghanistan  0–3    Nepal
Report A. Gurung  55', 73'
B. Gurung  56'

December 9, 2009
18:00
Maldives  2–0  India
Thariq  15'
Fazeel  82'
Report

Group B

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Bangladesh 321062+47
 Sri Lanka 320182+66
 Pakistan 311171+64
 Bhutan 3003117−160

4 December 2009
16:00
Sri Lanka  1–0  Pakistan
Chathura  23' Report

4 December 2009
18:00
Bangladesh  4–1  Bhutan
Prantosh  11'
Haque  22', 51'
Ameli  72'
Report Dendup  42' (pen.)

6 December 2009
16:00
Sri Lanka  6–0  Bhutan
Channa  7', 25'
Kasun  39', 66', 78'
Chathura  90'
Report

8 December 2009
16:00
Pakistan  7–0  Bhutan
Essa  21', 54'
Ashraf  23'
Mehmood  28', 35', 66'
S. Khan  45'
Report

December 8, 2009
18:00
Bangladesh  2–1  Sri Lanka
Enamul  8', 64' Report
Report
Channa  42'

Knockout stage

Semi-finals

11 December 2009
16:00
Maldives  5–1  Sri Lanka
Thariq  21'
Fazeel  63', 85' (pen.)
Ashfaq  76'
Ashad  87'
Report Channa  62'

11 December 2009
19:30
Bangladesh  0–1  India
Report Sushil  63'

Final

Champion

 2009 South Asian Football Federation Cup Winners 

India
Fifth title

Goalscorers

4 goals

  • Sri Lanka Channa Ediri Bandalage

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

References

  1. "BFF bids for SAFF meet". The Daily Star (Bangladesh). 12 May 2009.
  2. http://www.indianfootball.com/en/news/articleId/1267 | SAFF Cup 2009 to be shifted?
  3. "Bangladesh to host SAFF Championship". The-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 10 September 2009. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
  4. "Hosts avoid India". The Daily Star (Bangladesh). 4 October 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
  5. http://www.indianfootball.com/en/news/articleId/1916
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