2025 SAFF U-17 Women's Championship

2025 SAFF U-17 Women's Championship
Tournament details
Host countryBhutan
CityThimphu
Dates20–31 August 2025
Teams4 (from 1 sub-confederation)
Venue1
Final positions
Champions India (3rd title)
Runners-up Bangladesh
Third place   Nepal
Fourth place Bhutan
Tournament statistics
Matches played12
Goals scored53 (4.42 per match)
Top scorer Anushka Kumari (8 goals)
Best player Abhista Basnett
Best goalkeeper Meghla Rani Roy
Fair play award Bangladesh
2024
2026 →

The 2025 SAFF U-17 Women's Championship was the 7th edition of SAFF U-17 Women's Championship an international football competition for women's under-17 national teams, organized by SAFF. The tournament was played in Bhutan from 20–31 August 2025. Four teams from the region participated in the tournament.[1][2][3] Bangladesh are the defending champion.[4]

India is the defending champion having won the title for the finished tournament by 5 win of 6 with 15 points on 31 August 2025.[5]

Host selection

At the SAFF Executive Committee virtual meeting, held on 24 December 2024 in the Dhaka, Bangladesh SAFF announced the name of Bhutan host country of the tournament.[6]

Players eligibility

Players born on or after 1 January 2008 are eligible to compete in the tournament. Each team has to register a squad of minimum 16 players and maximum 23 players, minimum two of whom must be goalkeepers.

Participating nations

The following four nations are participating in the tournament.

Team Appearances
in the SAFF U-17 Women's Championship
Best performance
 Bangladesh 7th Champions (2017, 2024)
 Bhutan (Host) 7th 3rd place (2018)
 India 6th Champions (2018, 2019)
   Nepal 7th Champions (2022)

Venue

All matches being play at this venue.

Thimphu
Changlimithang Stadium
Capacity: 25,000

Draw

The draw and fixtures were announced by SAFF tournament committee on 9 July 2025 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The four nations will play each other twice in the round robin format.

Match officials

The following match officials were chosen for the officiated in the tournament.

Referees
  • Sharaban Tahura
  • Meera Tamang
  • Neetu Rana
  • Kriti Sen
  • Pabasara Minisarani Yapa
Assistant Referees
  • Sohana Khatun
  • Kinzang Choden
  • Lalhruaizeli Khiangte
  • Somika Rai
  • HM Malika Madhushani
Match Commissioners
  • Tayeb Hasan Shamsuzzaman
  • Mindu Dorji
  • Wendy Assunta Decosta

Round robin

Key to colours in group tables
Champion
Tiebreakers

Teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tie-breaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings.

  1. Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  2. Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  3. Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  4. If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
  5. Goal difference in all group matches;
  6. Goals scored in all group matches;
  7. Penalty shoot-out if only two teams are tied and they met in the last round of the group;
  8. Disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card as a result of two yellow cards = 3 points, direct red card = 3 points, yellow card followed by direct red card = 4 points);
  9. Drawing of lots.

Standing

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Status
1  India 6 5 0 1 30 4 +26 15 Champion
2  Bangladesh 6 4 1 1 15 8 +7 13
3    Nepal 6 1 1 4 4 21 −17 4
4  Bhutan (H) 6 0 2 4 4 20 −16 2
Source: Sofascore
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) goal difference; 5) number of goals scored;
(H) Hosts
India 7–0   Nepal
  • Basnett 16', 41'
  • Longjam 25', 56'
  • A. Kumari 33', 62'
  • Nongmaithem 45+1'
Report
Referee: Sharaban Tahura (Bangladesh)
Bangladesh 3–1 Bhutan
  • Prity 45+3'
  • Akter 54', 65'
Report
  • Choden 61'
Referee: Kriti Sen (Nepal)

Bangladesh 0–2 India
Report
  • P. Fernandes 14'
  • Shullai 76'
Referee: Pabasara Minisarani Yapa (Sri Lanka)
Bhutan 1–2   Nepal
  • Tshogyal 42'
Report
  • Limbu 58', 76'
Referee: Neetu Rana (India)

Bhutan 0–8 India
Report
  • Basnett 23', 88'
  • A. Kumari 53', 61', 72'
  • P. Fernandes 71'
  • Linda 77'
  • V. Fernandes 90+2'
Referee: Sharaban Tahura (Bangladesh)
Bangladesh 3–0   Nepal
  • Thuinuye 41'
  • Prity 45'
  • Reya 90+2'
Report
Referee: Meera Tamang (Bhutan)

Bangladesh 4–1   Nepal
  • Thuinuye 38'
  • Prity 45', 71', 86'
Report
  • Bhumika 47'
Referee: Neetu Rana (India)
India 5–0 Bhutan
  • A. Kumari 4', 16'
  • Rani 24'
  • Nongmaithem 77'
  • Longjam 90+5'
Report
Referee: Kriti Sen (Nepal)

Bangladesh 1–1 Bhutan
  • Purnima 6'
Report
  • Zangmo 45+1'
Referee: Kriti Sen (Nepal)
India 5–0   Nepal
  • Longjam 5'
  • P. Fernandes 15', 43'
  • Linda 79', 90+2'
Report
Referee: Sharaban Tahura (Bangladesh)

Bangladesh 4–3 India
  • Purnima 1'
  • Alpi 34'
  • Prity 49', 90+5'
Report
  • A. Kumari 9'
  • Barman 65'
  • Nongmaithem 89'
Referee: Meera Tamang (Bhutan)
Bhutan 1–1   Nepal
  • Yangchen 45+'
Report
  • Karki 15'
Referee: Neetu Rana (India)

Winners

 2025 SAFF U-17 Women's Championship Champions 

India
Third title

Statistics

Goalscorers

There have been 44 goals scored in 12 matches, for an average of 3.67 goals per match. Source: GSA

8 Goals
  • Anushka Kumari
7 Goals
4 Goals
  • Abhista Basnett
  • Pearl Fernanades
  • Nira Chanu Longjam
3 Goals
  • Alpi Akter
  • Divyani Linda
  • Julan Nongmaithem
2 Goals
  • Purnima Marma
  • Thuinuye Marma
  • Sahara Limbu
1 Goal
  • Reya
  • Chorten Zangmo
  • Rinzin Dema Choden
  • Kuenden Sonam Tshogyal
  • Sonam Yangchen
  • Valaina Fernandes
  • Bonifilia Shullai
  • Shveta Rani
  • Bhumika Budathoki
  • Patrick Barman
  • Babtika Karki

Hat trick

Player Against Result Date Ref
Anushka Kumari  Bhutan 8–0 24 August 2025 [7]
Sauravi Akanda Prity    Nepal 4–1 27 August 2025 [8]

Awards

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

Most Valuable Player Top scorer Best Goalkeeper Fair Play Award
Abhista Basnett Anushka Kumari Meghla Rani Roy  Bangladesh

Broadcasting

Territory Broadcaster(s) Reference
No restricted territory Sportzworkz
(YouTube Channel)
2025 SAFF U-17 Women's matches playlist on YouTube
South Asia
(No restricted territory)
SAFF Football
(YouTube Channel)
2025 SAFF U-17 Women's matches's channel on YouTube

See also

2025 in SAFF
Men's
U-17 Championship U-19 Championship
Women's
U-17 Championship U-20 Championship Club Championship

References

  1. ^ "SAFF to announced 2024 tournament calendar". South Asian Football Federation. 17 August 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  2. ^ "সাফ নিয়ে বিশাল পরিকল্পনা কাজী সালাউদ্দিনের". Football Bangladesh (in Bengali). 16 September 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  3. ^ "SAFF U17 Women's Championship fixtures announced; India to play Nepal in opening encounter". www.khelnow.com. 9 July 2025. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  4. ^ "Bangladesh beat India to clinch title". www.thedailystar.net. 10 March 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Dominant India seal SAFF U17 Women's Championship title after defeating Nepal". www.the-aiff.com. 19 August 2025. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  6. ^ "SAFF Youth Competition Calendar revised". www.saffederation.org. 24 December 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  7. ^ "India U17 women slam eight past Bhutan". All India Football Federation. 24 August 2025. Archived from the original on 24 August 2025. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  8. ^ "প্রীতির হ্যাটট্রিকে আবার নেপালকে হারাল বাংলাদেশ". Dhaka Post (in Bengali). 27 August 2025. Retrieved 27 August 2025.