2022 CAFA U-16 Championship

the 2022 CAFA U-16 Championship was the third edition of the CAFA U-16 Championship, the international youth football championship organized by Central Asian Football Association for the men's under-16 national teams of Central Asia. Tajikistan hosted the tournament from 11 to 21 May.^[1] A total of five teams competed for the title in the eight-day round-robin event, with all teams to cross paths once before the final Matchday on May 20, with players born on or after 1 January 2006 eligible to participate.

2022 CAFA U-16 Championship

Tournament details
Host country	Tajikistan
City	Dushanbe
Dates	11–21 May
Teams	5 (from 1 sub-confederation)
Venue(s)	1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions	Iran (1st title)
Runners-up	Uzbekistan
Third place	Tajikistan
Fourth place	Afghanistan
Tournament statistics
Matches played	10
Goals scored	31 (3.1 per match)
Attendance	13,047 (1,305 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Amirbek Saidov (6 goals)
Best player(s)	Reza Ghandipour
Fair play award	Kyrgyzstan
← 2019

Tajikistan were the defending champions, having won the last edition in 2019. but failed to retain their title after winning only one of their four matches.^[2] Iran clinched the title after they edged out Uzbekistan on goal difference after a 7–0 win against Tajikistan.^[3][4]

Participation

Participating teams

A total of 5 (out of 6) CAFA nations entered the competition.^[5][6]

Team	Appearance	Previous best performance
Afghanistan	3rd	Runners-up (2018)
Iran	2nd	Third place (2019)
Kyrgyzstan	3rd	Fourth place (2018)
Tajikistan	3rd	Champions (2019)
Uzbekistan	3rd	Champions (2018)

Did not enter

•  Turkmenistan

Squads

Main article: 2022 CAFA U-16 Championship squads

Venues

Matches were held at the Republic Central Stadium.^[7]

Dushanbe	Dushanbe 2022 CAFA U-16 Championship (Tajikistan)
Republic Central Stadium
Capacity: 20,000

Match officials

The following officials were appointed for the tournament:

Referees

• Seyyedali Asghar Momeni
• Nurzatbek Abdykadyrov
• Abdullo Dablatov
• Akobirkhuja Shukurllaev

Assistant referees

• Alireza Moradi
• Khusan Dzhalaldinov
• Akmal Buriev
• Ismoil Nuraliev
• Rustam Tagaev
• Aleksandr Sidorov

Main tournament

The main tournament schedule was announced on 6 May 2022.^[8]

All times are local TJT (UTC+5).

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Final result
1	Iran	4	3	1	0	12	2	+10	10	Champions
2	Uzbekistan	4	3	1	0	13	4	+9	10	Runners-up
3	Tajikistan (H)	4	1	1	2	2	9	−7	4	Third place
4	Afghanistan	4	0	2	2	1	8	−7	2
5	Kyrgyzstan	4	0	1	3	3	8	−5	1

Source: CAFA
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) head-to-head matches; 3) Goal difference; 4) Number of goals scored.
(H) Hosts

13 May 2022 (2022-05-13)

18:00

Uzbekistan	2–2	Iran
Mukhtorov 41' Saidov 88'	Report	Ghandipour 58' Digehsara 62'

Republic Central Stadium, Dushanbe

Attendance: 420

Referee: Nurzatbek Abdykadyrov (Kyrgyzstan)

13 May 2022 (2022-05-13)

21:00

Afghanistan	1–1	Kyrgyzstan
Niazi 57'	Report	Shaidullaev 68'

Republic Central Stadium, Dushanbe

Attendance: 545

Referee: Akobirkhuja Shukurllaev (Uzbekistan)

---

14 May 2022 (2022-05-14)

18:00

Afghanistan	0–6	Uzbekistan
	Report	Djumatov 41', 53' Khoshimboev 52' Mirzaev 57' Saidov 60', 83'

Republic Central Stadium, Dushanbe

Attendance: 444

Referee: Abdullo Davlatov (Tajikistan)

14 May 2022 (2022-05-14)

21:00

Kyrgyzstan	0–2	Tajikistan
	Report	Gafurov 52' (pen.) Saidov 69'

Republic Central Stadium, Dushanbe

Attendance: 2,500

Referee: Seyyedali Asghar Momeni (Iran)

---

16 May 2022 (2022-05-16)

18:00

Iran	2–0	Kyrgyzstan
Temirbekov 12' (o.g.) Taheri 74'	Report

Republic Central Stadium, Dushanbe

Attendance: 120

Referee: Akobirkhuja Shukurullaev (Uzbekistan)

16 May 2022 (2022-05-16)

21:00

Tajikistan	0–0	Afghanistan
	Report

Republic Central Stadium, Dushanbe

Attendance: 5,005

Referee: Seyyedali Asghar Momeni (Iran)

---

18 May 2022 (2022-05-18)

18:00

Iran	1–0	Afghanistan
Dizajvar 86'	Report

Republic Central Stadium, Dushanbe

Attendance: 424

Referee: Abdullo Davlatov (Tajikistan)

18 May 2022 (2022-05-18)

21:00

Uzbekistan	2–0	Tajikistan
Shdiboev 13' Djumatov 49'	Report

Republic Central Stadium, Dushanbe

Attendance: 3,000

Referee: Nurzatbek Abdykadyrov (Kyrgyzstan)

---

20 May 2022 (2022-05-20)

18:00

Kyrgyzstan	2–3	Uzbekistan
Kuvatbekov 8' (pen.) Tursunaliev 21'	Report	Saidov 12', 24', 75'

Republic Central Stadium, Dushanbe

Attendance: 185

Referee: Seyyedali Asghar Momeni (Iran)

20 May 2022 (2022-05-20)

21:00

Tajikistan	0–7	Iran
	Report	Ghandipour 16', 39', 48' Askari 50' Samian 65' Taheri 83', 89'

Republic Central Stadium, Dushanbe

Attendance: 404

Referee: Nurzatbek Abdykadyrov (Kyrgyzstan)

Player awards

The following awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament:^[9]

Top Goalscorer	Best player	Fair Play award	Special award
Amirbek Saidov (6 goals)	Reza Ghandipour[10]	Kyrgyzstan[11]	Afghanistan

Goalscorers

There were 31 goals scored in 10 matches, for an average of 3.1 goals per match.

6 goals

• Amirbek Saidov

4 goals

• Reza Ghandipour

3 goals

• Kasra Taheri
• Bekhruz Djumatov

1 goal

• Hakim Khan Niazi
• Mahan Sadeghi Digehsara
• Amirreza Jeddi Dizajvar
• Esmaeil Gholizadeh Samian
• Mohammad Askari
• Baiel Tursunaliev
• Munarbek Kuvatbekov
• Arzybek Shaidullaev
• Masrur Gafurov
• Sheravgan Saidov
• Jahongir Khoshimboev
• Lazizbek Mirzaev
• Zikrillokhon Mukhtorov
• Shodiyor Shodiboev

1 own goal

• Emirkhan Temirbekov (against Iran)

Source: CAFA