2021 WAFF U-18 Championship

2021 WAFF U-18 Championship, also called 2021 EarthLink WAFF U-18 Championship due to sponsorship by EarthLink Telecommunications, was the second edition of the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF)'s under-18 championship.[1] It took place between 20 November and 1 December 2021 in Iraq.[2]

2021 WAFF U-18 Championship
بطولة غرب آسيا لكرة القدم تحت 18 عاما
Tournament details
Host countryIraq
CityBaghdad (Final match)
Basra (Group A)
Erbil (Group B)
Dates20 November – 1 December
Teams9 (from 1 sub-confederation)
Venue(s)3 (in 3 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Iraq (2nd title)
Runners-up Lebanon
Tournament statistics
Matches played17
Goals scored32 (1.88 per match)
Top scorer(s)Iraq Asahr Ali (3 goals)
Best player(s)Lebanon Ali El Fadl
Best goalkeeperIraq Hussein Amoyed
2019
2024

The tournament featured nine teams divided into a two groups of four and five.[3] Hosts Iraq won the tournament, beating Lebanon on penalty shoot-outs in the final.[4]

Teams

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Participants

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Team Appearance Last appearance Previous best performance
  Bahrain 2nd 2019 Group stage (2019)
  Iraq 2nd 2019 Champions (2019)
  Jordan 2nd 2019 Third place (2019)
  Kuwait 1st
  Lebanon 1st
  Palestine 2nd 2019 Fourth place (2019)
  Syria 1st
  United Arab Emirates 2nd 2019 Runners-up (2019)
  Yemen 1st

Format

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Two groups of nine teams; the host country Iraq were in Group A, which contained five teams, while Group B contained four teams. Unlike the previous edition, only the group winners advance directly to the final.

Squads

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A total of nine teams played in the tournament, with players born on or after 1 January 2003 eligible to participate. Each team had to register a squad of up to 23 players, three of whom must be goalkeepers.

Officials

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Venue

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Basra Baghdad Erbil
Basra International Stadium Al-Madina Stadium Franso Hariri Stadium
Capacity: 65,227 Capacity: 32,000 Capacity: 25,000

Groups stage

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Group A

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Iraq (H) 4 3 0 1 9 1 +8 9 Advance to the final
2   Kuwait 4 2 1 1 5 5 0 7
3   Yemen 4 2 0 2 2 4 −2 6
4   Bahrain 4 1 1 2 3 7 −4 4
5   Palestine 4 1 0 3 4 6 −2 3
Source: goalzz
(H) Hosts
Palestine  1–2  Bahrain
  • Taha   45+2'
Report
Referee: Maher Al Ali (Lebanon)
Iraq  3–0  Kuwait
Report
Referee: Mohamad Mofeed (Jordan)

Bahrain  0–4  Iraq
Report
Referee: Mohamad Kanah (Syria)
Kuwait  2–0  Yemen
Report
Referee: Mohamad Arafah (Jordan)

Yemen  0–2  Palestine
Report
Referee: Sheikh Ahmad Alaeddin (Lebanon)
Kuwait  1–1  Bahrain
Report
Referee: Mohamad Mofeed (Jordan)

Palestine  1–2  Kuwait
Report
Referee: Mohamad Kanah (Syria)
Yemen  1–0  Iraq
Report
Attendance: 58,320[5]
Referee: Maher Al Ali (Lebanon)

Bahrain  0–1  Yemen
Report
Referee: Mohamad Arafah (Jordan)
Iraq  2–0  Palestine
Report
Attendance: 51,823
Referee: Sheikh Ahmad Alaeddin (Lebanon)

Group B

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Lebanon 3 2 1 0 3 1 +2 7 Advance to the final
2   Jordan 3 2 0 1 4 1 +3 6
3   Syria 3 1 0 2 1 3 −2 3
4   United Arab Emirates 3 0 1 2 1 4 −3 1
Source: goalzz
Syria  0–1  Lebanon
Report
Referee: Mohamad Juma (Bahrain)
United Arab Emirates  0–2  Jordan
Report
Referee: Baraa Abu Aishah (Palestine)

Lebanon  1–1  United Arab Emirates
Report
Referee: Wathiq Abdullah (Iraq)
Jordan  2–0  Syria
Report
Referee: Saad Khalifa (Kuwait)

Syria  1–0  United Arab Emirates
Report
Referee: Waleed Khaloofa (Yemen)
Jordan  0–1  Lebanon
Report
Referee: Baraa Abu Aishah (Palestine)

Final

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Iraq  0–0  Lebanon
Report
Penalties
3–2
Attendance: 32,000
Referee: Mohamad Mofeed Ghabayen (Jordan)

Champion

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 2021 WAFF U-18 Championship champion 
 
Iraq
Second title

Player awards

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The following awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament:

Top Goalscorer Best player Best Goalkeeper
  Ashar Ali   Ali El Fadl   Hussein Hassan

Goalscorers

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There were 32 goals scored in 17 matches, for an average of 1.88 goals per match.

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

1 own goal

References

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  1. ^ "اتحاد غرب آسيا يثبت تفاصيل أربع بطولات من قائمة أجندة ٢٠٢١". 1 July 2021. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  2. ^ "أربيل تضيّف شباب غرب آسيا وسعيد يكشف أجندة الاتحاد". 5 July 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  3. ^ "إعلان موعد قرعة بطولة غرب آسيا للشباب". 27 October 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  4. ^ "المنتخب العراقي يتوج بالذهب ببطولة ايرثلنك للشباب". 3 December 2021. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  5. ^ "منتخب شباب اليمن يصعق العراق في لقاء جماهيري بغرب آسيا". almalaeb.net. 26 November 2021. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
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