The 2023 WAFF U-23 Championship was the fourth edition of the WAFF U-23 Championship, the international age-restricted football championship organized by the West Asian Football Federation for the men's under-23 national teams of West Asia. Nine teams competed in the tournament, with one team being invited.[1]
| بطولة غرب آسيا لكرة القدم تحت 23 عاما | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Host country | Iraq |
| City | Baghdad and Karbala |
| Dates | 12–20 June |
| Teams | 9 (from 1 confederation) (from 2 sub-confederations) |
| Venue(s) | 2 (in 2 host cities) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Iraq (1st title) |
| Runners-up |  Iran |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 12 |
| Goals scored | 27 (2.25 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Hussein Abdullah (3 goals) |
| Best player(s) | Muntadher Mohammed |
| Best goalkeeper | Kumel Al-Rekabe |
← 2022 2024 → | |
Saudi Arabia, the defending champions, did not take part in the tournament. Iraq won their first title after defeating Iran 5–4 on penalties (1–1 after extra time) in the final.[2]
Teams
editNine teams took part in the competition.[3]
| Team | Appearance | Previous best performance |
|---|---|---|
| Iran |
2nd | Winners (2015) |
| Iraq |
2nd | Semi-finals (2021) |
 Jordan |
3rd | Winners (2021) |
 Lebanon |
3rd | Group stage (2021, 2022) |
 Oman |
4th | Fourth place (2022) |
 Palestine |
3rd | Group stage (2015, 2021) |
 Syria |
4th | Runners-up (2015) |
 United Arab Emirates |
3rd | Group stage (2015, 2021) |
 Yemen |
3rd | Fourth place (2015) |
Draw
editThe draw for the group stage took place on Thursday 25 May 2023 in Muscat, Oman at 15:00 UTC+3.[4]
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|
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Squads
editEach team had to register a squad of 25 players, three of whom must be goalkeepers.
Match officials
editThe following referees and assistant referees were appointed for the tournament.
|
Referees
|
Assistant Referees
|
Venues
edit| Baghdad
|
Karbala
|
|---|---|
| Al-Madina Stadium | Karbala Stadium |
| Capacity: 30,000 | Capacity: 30,000 |
Group stage
editGroup A
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iraq (H)
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 4 | Knockout stage |
| 2 | Jordan
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 4 | |
| 3 | United Arab Emirates
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0 |
Group B
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iran
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 4 | Knockout stage |
| 2 | Palestine
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 4 | |
| 3 | Syria
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0 |
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
| Syria | 0–1 | Palestine |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Iran | 3–1 | Syria |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Palestine | 1–1 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Group C
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oman
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 6 | Knockout stage |
| 2 | Yemen
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 3 | |
| 3 | Lebanon
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0 |
| Oman | 1–0 | Lebanon |
|---|---|---|
Al-Abdulsalam  42' (pen.) |
Report |
Ranking of Runners-ups
editThe best-placed runner-up will qualify for the knockout stage.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jordan
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 4 | Knockout stage |
| 2 | Palestine
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 4 | |
| 3 | Yemen
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 3 |
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
Knockout stage
edit| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| 18 June – Baghdad | ||||||
| Iran | 0 (4) | |||||
| 20 June – Baghdad | ||||||
| Jordan | 0 (3) | |||||
| Iran | 1 (4) | |||||
| 18 June – Baghdad | ||||||
| Iraq | 1 (5) | |||||
| Iraq | 1 | |||||
| Oman | 0 | |||||
Semi-finals
edit| Iran | 0–0 | Jordan |
|---|---|---|
| Report | ||
| Penalties | ||
Y. Salmani  Hazbavi  A. Bavieh M. Ghorbani Hashemnejad |
4–3 | Al-Diabat Abualnadi Jamous Al-Shanaineh Abu Taha |
Final
edit| Iran | 1–1 | Iraq |
|---|---|---|
| Goudarzi 31' |
Report | Abdullah 45+3' |
| Penalties | ||
| Y. Salmani Fallah Irankhah M. Ghorbani Hashemnejad |
4–5 | K. Mohammed Tahseen Abdullah M. Mohammed Maknzi |
Winners
edit| 2023 WAFF U-23 Championship champion |
|---|
 Iraq First title |
Awards
editThe following awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament:[5]
Awards
edit- Player of the Tournament
- Golden Boot
Hussein Abdullah (3 goals)
- Golden Glove
Final standing
edit
Goalscorers
editThere have been 27 goals scored in 12 matches, for an average of 2.25 goals per match.
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
1 own goal
Mohammad Abualnadi (against United Arab Emirates)
Nasser Al-Rawahi (against Iraq)
Nawaf Dhawi (against Jordan)
Broadcasting rights
editThe following channels have been given broadcasting rights to broadcast the tournament.
| Territory | Rights holder(s) |
|---|---|
| Iraq | Al Iraqiya |
| United Arab Emirates | AD Sports |
| Jordan | Jordan Sports TV |
| Yemen | Al-Saeeda |
References
edit- ^ "إيران تشارك في بطولة غرب آسيا تحت 23 عاماً بالعراق".
- ^ ""أسود الرافدين" يفرض تألقه ويحقق أول ألقابه في بطولة تحت ٢٣ عاماً". 21 June 2023.
- ^ "قرعة النسخة الرابعة من بطولة تحت ٢٣ عاماً تسحب.. الإثنين". 28 May 2023.
- ^ "قرعة بطولة تحت ٢٣ عاماً تكشف معالم المجموعات الثلاث". 29 May 2023.
- ^ "هيمنة عراقية على جوائز بطولة غرب آسيا". kooora.com. 20 June 2023.