DHAKA: On July 20, the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) conducted the group draw for the upcoming SAFF U17 Championship. Scheduled to kick off on September 15th and conclude on September 27th, the tournament will be hosted by Sri Lanka. All matches will take place at the Racecourse Ground in Colombo.
The Tournament’s History
Announced in 2011 by SAFF President Kazi Salahuddin, the tournament began as a U16 competition. It continued in that format until 2017, when it transitioned to a U15 event. Later, in 2022, the tournament adopted its current U17 format. All 7 SAFF nations have participated, with Afghanistan appearing twice during their time as a SAFF member.
Group Draw
Group A consists of hosts Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Group B features Pakistan, India, the Maldives, and Bhutan. Notably, Pakistan will face arch-rivals India in the group stage.
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Previous Editions
This year marks the 10th edition of the tournament since its inception in 2011. The previous edition took place in 2024 in Bhutan. India holds the record as the most successful team with 6 titles. India, Nepal, and Bangladesh have each made 9 appearances, the joint highest among all teams. Maldives and Bhutan have featured 7 times, while Pakistan has participated in 5 editions.
In the last edition, Pakistan topped their group by defeating Nepal 1-0, Sri Lanka 5-1, and drawing 3-3 with Bhutan. In the semifinals, they faced Bangladesh and drew 2-2, but lost 8-7 on penalties. Pakistan won the inaugural tournament in 2011 by defeating India 2-1 in the final. They also finished second in 2018 and third in the 2023 edition.
The Next Few Months for Pakistan Football
Pakistan football faces a packed calendar starting from September. The U17, U23, and Senior teams are all set to be in action. September will feature both the SAFF U17 Championship and the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers. In October, Pakistan will face Afghanistan twice in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. November brings a clash against Syria. Fans can expect a series of exciting matches involving the national team.
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