The CAFA Nations Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA), the governing body of football in Central Asia.[1][2][3][4]
| Organising body | CAFA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2023 |
| Region | Central Asia |
| Number of teams | 7 (2023) |
| Current champions |  Iran (1st title) |
| Most successful team(s) | Iran (1 title) |
| Website | Official website |
 2023 CAFA Nations Cup | |
History
The inaugural edition of the senior men's tournament was initially planned to be hosted by Tashkent in October 2018.[1][2][3][4] It was not played out though.
In March 2023, it was announced the inaugural edition of the senior men's tournament would commence in June 2023 in Tashkent and Bishkek for the six member associations, along with the addition of two invited guest teams: Russia and an unconfirmed Asian team.[5][6][7] However, the start of the inaugural edition of the tournament was put in doubt again after it was reported in early April 2023 that Iran, Uzbekistan, Russia, and Iraq would instead take part in a four-nation tournament in June 2023.[8]
On 15 April, it was reported that Russia was set to shun the inaugural CAFA Championship, while organizers insisted they were still in talks with them over their participation.[9] On 18 April, it was reported that Iran would take part in the inaugural CAFA Championship along with the member associations of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan, as well as invited guests Russia and one other Asian country, with the tournament being hosted in Tashkent and Bishkek in June.[10] On 19 April, it was reported that Russia had withdrawn from the tournament.[11][12] On 24 April, Oman was reported to be an invited guest team after Thailand reportedly turned down an invitation.[13][14][15]
Results
| Edition | Year | Hosts | Champions | Score | Runners-up | Third place | Score | Fourth place | No. of Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023 |  Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan |  Iran | 1–0 |  Uzbekistan |  Oman | 1–0 |  Kyrgyzstan | 7 |
Performance by nation
| Team | Titles | Runners-up | Third place | Fourth place | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iran | 1 (2023) | 1 | |||
| Uzbekistan | 1 (2023) | 1 | |||
 Oman | 1 (2023) | 1 | |||
 Kyrgyzstan | 1 (2023) | 1 |
- Italic: hosts
Participating nations
- Legend
| Team | 2023 (7) | Total |
|---|---|---|
 Afghanistan | GS | 1 |
| Iran | 1st | 1 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 4th | 1 |
 Tajikistan | GS | 1 |
 Turkmenistan | GS | 1 |
| Uzbekistan | 2nd | 1 |
| Invitee nations | ||
| Oman | 3rd | 1 |
Summary
- As of the 2023 edition
| Rank | Team | Part | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iran | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 9 |
| 2 | Uzbekistan | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 9 |
| 3 | Oman | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| 4 | Kyrgyzstan | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | –2 | 3 |
| 5 | Tajikistan | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | –4 | 2 |
| 6 | Turkmenistan | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | –4 | 1 |
| 7 | Afghanistan | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9 | –8 | 0 |
Awards
Winning coaches
| Year | Team | Coach |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Iran | Amir Ghalenoei |
Most valuable player
| Year | Team | Players |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Iran | Mehdi Taremi |
Top goalscorers
| Year | Team | Goalscorers | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Iran | Mehdi Taremi | 6 |
Best goalkeeper
| Year | Team | Goalkeeper |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Oman | Ibrahim Al-Mukhaini |
Fair play award
| Year | Team |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Uzbekistan |
See also
References
External links
- CAFA competitions – official website at the-cafa.com (in English)