| 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 → | |
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.
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.
Teams
Nine teams took part in the competition.
| 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
The draw for the group stage took place on Thursday 25 May 2023 in Muscat, Oman at 15:00 UTC+3.
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Squads
Each team had to register a squad of 25 players, three of whom must be goalkeepers.
Match officials
The following referees and assistant referees were appointed for the tournament.
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Referees
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Assistant Referees
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Venues
| Baghdad | Karbala |
|---|---|
| Al-Madina Stadium | Karbala Stadium |
| Capacity: 30,000 | Capacity: 30,000 |
Group stage
Group A
| 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
| 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 |
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| Iran | 3–1 | Syria |
|---|---|---|
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Report |
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| Palestine | 1–1 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
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Report |
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Group C
| 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
The 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
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 2023 WAFF U-23 Championship champion |
|---|
Iraq First title |
Awards
The following awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament:
Awards
- Player of the Tournament
- Golden Boot
Hussein Abdullah (3 goals)
- Golden Glove
Final standing
Goalscorers
There 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
The 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
- ^ "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.