{{Infobox International Football Competition | tourney_name = WAFF U-23 Championship | year = 2015 | othertitles = | image = 2015 WAFF U-23 Championship.png | size = 200px | caption = | country = Qatar | dates = 30 September – 14 October | num_teams = 10 | confederations = 1 | venues = 1 | cities = 1 | champion_other = {{fbu|23|IRN}} | count = 1 | second_other = {{fbu|23|SYR|1980}} | third_other = {{fbu|23|QAT}} | fourth_other = {{fbu|23|YEM}} | matches = 16 | goals = 49 | attendance = 7550 | top_scorer = {{flagicon|QAT}} [[Akram Afif]] {{nowrap|(4 goals)}} | player = {{flagicon|IRN}} [[Amir Arsalan Motahari]] | nextseason = [[2021 WAFF U-23 Championship|2021]] }}
The '''2015 WAFF U-23 Championship''' took place in [[Doha]], [[Qatar]] for the first time. Ten nations took part. The competition was held in Qatar from 30 September to 14 October with the draw for the tournament on 6 September 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.qfa.com.qa/doha-to-conduct-waff-olympic-championship-draw-in-september/ |title=Doha to conduct WAFF Olympic Championship draw in September|publisher=QFA |date=11 July 2015 |accessdate=11 July 2015}}</ref> [[Iran national under-23 football team|Iran]] won the title after they defeated [[Syria national under-23 football team|Syria]] in the final. This was Iran's last WAFF competition before joining the [[Central Asian Football Association]].
The competition was used as a warm up for the [[2016 AFC U-23 Championship]] which is also to be held in Qatar. This competition in turn is used as qualification for the Olympics football tournament of which these sides participating in the WAFF championship were eligible for.
== Teams ==
=== Squads === {{Main|2015 WAFF U-23 Championship squads}} Each team had to register a squad of up to 23 players, three of whom must be goalkeepers.
==Venues== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- ! [[Doha]] ! rowspan="4" |{{location map+|Qatar|float=center|width=300|caption=Location of the host cities of the 2015 WAFF U-23 Championship.|places={{location map~ |Qatar |lat=25.286667 |long=51.533333 |label=[[Doha]] |position=right}}}} |- | [[Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium]]<br />([[Lekhwiya SC]] stadium) |- | Capacity: '''12,000''' |- |[[File:Abdullah_bin_Khalifa_Stadium_(1).jpg|211x211px]] |}
==Group stage== {| class="wikitable" |- !Legend |-bgcolor=#BBF3BB | Advanced to the [[2015 WAFF U-23 Championship#Semi-finals|semifinals]] |} * All times listed are ([[UTC+03:00|UTC+3]])
===Group A=== <onlyinclude>{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL |section=Group A |res_col_header=Q |show_positions=n
|team1=QAT|name_QAT={{fbu|23|QAT}} |team2=YEM|name_YEM={{fbu|23|YEM}} |team3=PLE|name_PLE={{fbu|23|PLE}} |team4=JOR|name_JOR={{fbu|23|JOR}} |win_QAT=2|draw_QAT=1|loss_QAT=0|gf_QAT=5|ga_QAT=1 |win_YEM=1|draw_YEM=1|loss_YEM=1|gf_YEM=4|ga_YEM=4 |win_PLE=1|draw_PLE=0|loss_PLE=2|gf_PLE=2|ga_PLE=6 |win_JOR=1|draw_JOR=0|loss_JOR=2|gf_JOR=4|ga_JOR=4
|col_A=#ccffcc|text_A= |result1=A|result2=A |update=complete|source= }}</onlyinclude>
{{football box |date = 30 September 2015 |time = 16:30 |team1 = {{fbu-rt|23|JOR}} |score = 3–1 |report = [http://www.the-waff.com/assets/reports/456_match.jpg report] |team2 = {{fbu|23|YEM}} |goals1 = [[Baha' Faisal|Faisal]] {{goal|71}}<br />[[Ahmed Hisham|Hisham]] {{goal|74||77}} |goals2 = [[Waleed Al-Hubaishi|Al-Hubaishi]] {{goal|90+3}} |stadium = [[Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium]], [[Doha]] |attendance = 150 |referee = Safwan Othman ([[Syrian Arab Federation for Football|Syria]]) }} {{football box |date = 30 September 2015 |time = 19:30 |team1 = {{fbu-rt|23|QAT}} |score = 3–0 |report = [http://www.the-waff.com/assets/reports/455_match.jpg report] |team2 = {{fbu|23|PLE}} |goals1 = [[Almoez Ali|Ali]] {{goal|22}}<br />[[Hamza Sanhaji|Sanhaji]] {{goal|58}}<br />[[Akram Afif|Afif]] {{goal|90+3|pen.}} |goals2 = |stadium = [[Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium]], [[Doha]] |attendance = 700 |referee = Payam Heidari ([[Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran|Iran]]) }} ---- {{football box |date = 3 October 2015 |time = 16:30 |team1 = {{fbu-rt|23|PLE}} |score = 1–3 |report = [http://www.the-waff.com/assets/reports/458_match.png report] |team2 = {{fbu|23|YEM}} |goals1 = [[Islam Batran|Batran]] {{goal|88}} |goals2 = [[Waleed Al-Hubaishi|Al-Hubaishi]] {{goal|15||44}}<br />[[Ahmed Abdullah (footballer)|Abdullah]] {{goal|24}} |stadium = [[Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium]], [[Doha]] |attendance = 500 |referee = Mihail Litvinov ([[Football Federation of Turkmenistan|Turkmenistan]]) }} {{football box |date = 3 October 2015 |time = 19:30 |team1 = {{fbu-rt|23|QAT}} |score = 2–1 |report = [http://www.the-waff.com/assets/reports/457_match.png report] |team2 = {{fbu|23|JOR}} |goals1 = [[Akram Afif|Afif]] {{goal|21||28|pen.}} |goals2 = [[Ahmed Hisham|Hisham]] {{goal|29}} |stadium = [[Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium]], [[Doha]] |attendance = 500 |referee = Haitham Mohammed Ali ([[Iraq Football Association|Iraq]]) }} ---- {{football box |date = 6 October 2015 |time = 16:30 |team1 = {{fbu-rt|23|JOR}} |score = 0–1 |report = [http://www.the-waff.com/assets/reports/460_match.png report] |team2 = {{fbu|23|PLE}} |goals1 = |goals2 = [[Islam Batran|Batran]] {{goal|22}} |stadium = [[Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium]], [[Doha]] |attendance = 200 |referee = Nasrullo Kabirov ([[Tajikistan Football Federation|Tajikistan]]) }} {{football box |date = 6 October 2015 |time = 19:30 |team1 = {{fbu-rt|23|QAT}} |score = 0–0 |report = [http://www.the-waff.com/assets/reports/459_match.png report] |team2 = {{fbu|23|YEM}} |goals1 = |goals2 = |stadium = [[Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium]], [[Doha]] |attendance = 800 |referee = Saleh Al-Hetlol ([[Saudi Arabian Football Federation|Saudi Arabia]]) }}
===Group B=== <onlyinclude>{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL |section=Group B |res_col_header=Q |show_positions=n
|team1=IRI|name_IRI={{fbu|23|IRI}} |team2=KSA|name_KSA={{fbu|23|KSA}} |team3=BHR|name_BHR={{fbu|23|BHR}} |win_IRI=1|draw_IRI=1|loss_IRI=0|gf_IRI=4|ga_IRI=2 |win_KSA=1|draw_KSA=1|loss_KSA=0|gf_KSA=5|ga_KSA=4 |win_BHR=0|draw_BHR=0|loss_BHR=2|gf_BHR=2|ga_BHR=5
|col_A=#ccffcc|text_A= |result1=A |update=complete|source= }}</onlyinclude>
{{football box |date = 1 October 2015 |time = 16:30 |team1 = {{fbu-rt|23|IRI}} |score = 2–0 |report = [http://www.the-waff.com/assets/reports/461_match.jpg Report] |team2 = {{fbu|23|BHR}} |goals1 = [[Roozbeh Cheshmi|Cheshmi]] {{goal|29}}<br />[[Hossein Fazeli|Fazeli]] {{goal|41}} |goals2 = |stadium = [[Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium]], [[Doha]] |attendance = 700 |referee = Omar Mohamed Al Ali ([[United Arab Emirates Football Association|United Arab Emirates]]) }} ---- {{football box |date = 4 October 2015 |time = 16:30 |team1 = {{fbu-rt|23|IRI}} |score = 2–2 |report = [http://www.the-waff.com/assets/reports/462_match.png Report] |team2 = {{fbu|23|KSA}} |goals1 = [[Amir Arsalan Motahari|Motahari]] {{goal|8||16}} |goals2 = [[Abdulla Madou|Madou]] {{goal|18|pen.}}<br />[[Abdulmajeed Al-Sulayhem|Al-Sulayhem]] {{goal|79}} |stadium = [[Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium]], [[Doha]] |attendance = 500 |referee = Jawad Assi ([[Palestinian Football Association|Palestine]]) }} ---- {{football box |date = 7 October 2015 |time = 16:30 |team1 = {{fbu-rt|23|KSA}} |score = 3–2 |report = [http://www.the-waff.com/assets/reports/463_match.png Report] |team2 = {{fbu|23|BHR}} |goals1 = [[Raed Al-Ghamdi|Al-Ghamdi]] {{goal|34}}<br />[[Abdulmajeed Al-Sulayhem|Al-Sulayhem]] {{goal|80}}<br />[[Abdulla Madou|Madou]] {{goal|90+1|pen.}} |goals2 = [[Ali Abdulrasool|Abdulrasool]] {{goal|83|pen.}}<br />[[Abdulla Ali Hasan|Hasan]] {{goal|90+3}} |stadium = [[Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium]], [[Doha]] |attendance = 500 |referee = }}
===Group C=== <onlyinclude>{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL |section=Group C |res_col_header=Q |show_positions=n
|team1=SYR|name_SYR={{fbu|23|SYR|1980}} |team2=UAE|name_UAE={{fbu|23|UAE}} |team3=OMA|name_OMA={{fbu|23|OMA}} |win_SYR=2|draw_SYR=0|loss_SYR=0|gf_SYR=4|ga_SYR=2 |win_UAE=1|draw_UAE=0|loss_UAE=1|gf_UAE=5|ga_UAE=5 |win_OMA=0|draw_OMA=0|loss_OMA=2|gf_OMA=4|ga_OMA=6
|col_A=#ccffcc|text_A= |result1=A |update=complete|source= }}</onlyinclude>
{{football box |date = 1 October 2015 |time = 19:30 |team1 = {{fbu-rt|23|SYR|1980}} |score = 2–1 |report = [http://www.the-waff.com/assets/reports/464_match.jpg Report] |team2 = {{fbu|23|UAE}} |goals1 = [[Nasouh Nakdali|Nakdali]] {{goal|17}}<br />[[Mahmoud Al Bahr|Al Bahr]] {{goal|23}} |goals2 = [[Khalifa Mubarak|Mubarak]] {{goal|58}} |stadium = [[Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium]], [[Doha]] |attendance = 500 |referee = Saleh Al-Hetlol ([[Saudi Arabian Football Federation|Saudi Arabia]]) }} ---- {{football box |date = 4 October 2015 |time = 19:30 |team1 = {{fbu-rt|23|UAE}} |score = 4–3 |report = [http://www.the-waff.com/assets/reports/465_match.png Report] |team2 = {{fbu|23|OMA}} |goals1 = [[Ebraheim Khameis|Khameis]] {{goal|15}}<br />[[Saif Khalfan|Khalfan]] {{goal|22}}<br />[[Sultan Saif|Saif]] {{goal|86}}<br />[[Ahmed Rabee|Rabee]] {{goal|90+6}} |goals2 = [[Jameel Saleem|Saleem]] {{goal|1}}<br />[[Khalid Al Hamdani|Al Hamdani]] {{goal|82|pen.}}<br />[[Marwan Taaib|Taaib]] {{goal|90+4}} |stadium = [[Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium]], [[Doha]] |attendance = 300 |referee = Mongkolchai Pechsri ([[Football Association of Thailand|Thailand]]) }} ---- {{football box |date = 7 October 2015 |time = 19:30 |team1 = {{fbu-rt|23|OMA}} |score = 1–2 |report = [http://www.the-waff.com/assets/reports/466_match.png Report] |team2 = {{fbu|23|SYR|1980}} |goals1 = [[Ahmed Al Siyabi|Al Siyabi]] {{goal|33|}} |goals2 = [[Nasouh Nakdali|Nakdali]] {{goal|52||53}} |stadium = [[Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium]], [[Doha]] |attendance = 500 |referee = }}
===Ranking of second-placed teams=== The best runner-up across all groups advance to semifinal. The results against the fourth-placed team are not counted when determining the ranking of the runner-up team.
{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL |res_col_header=Q |show_positions=n
|team1=YEM|name_YEM={{fbu|23|YEM}} |team2=KSA|name_KSA={{fbu|23|KSA}} |team3=UAE|name_UAE={{fbu|23|UAE}} |win_YEM=1|draw_YEM=1|loss_YEM=0|gf_YEM=3|ga_YEM=1 |win_KSA=1|draw_KSA=1|loss_KSA=0|gf_KSA=5|ga_KSA=4 |win_UAE=1|draw_UAE=0|loss_UAE=1|gf_UAE=5|ga_UAE=5
|col_A=#ccffcc|text_A= |result1=A |update=complete|source= }}
==Knockout stage==
===Semi-finals=== {{football box | date = 10 October 2015 | time = 16:30 | team1 = {{fbu-rt|23|QAT}} | score = 0–2 | report = [http://www.the-waff.com/assets/reports/467_match.png Report] | team2 = {{fbu|23|SYR|1980}} | goals1 = | goals2 = [[Khaled Mobayed|Mobayed]] {{goal|47}}<br />[[Abdullah Al Shami|Al Shami]] {{goal|90+5}} | stadium = [[Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium]], [[Doha]] | attendance = 1,700 | referee = Haitham Mohammed Ali ([[Iraq Football Association|Iraq]]) }} ---- {{football box | date = 10 October 2015 | time = 20:15 | team1 = {{fbu-rt|23|IRN}} | score = 2–1 | report = [http://www.the-waff.com/assets/reports/468_match.png Report] | team2 = {{fbu|23|YEM}} | goals1 = [[Mehrdad Mohammadi|Mohammadi]] {{goal|9}}<br />[[Mohammad Daneshgar|Daneshgar]] {{goal|47}} | goals2 = [[Abdulmuain Al-Jarshi|Al-Jarshi]] {{goal|52}} | stadium = [[Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium]], [[Doha]] | attendance = 1,000 | referee = Jawad Assi ([[Palestinian Football Association|Palestine]]) }}
===Third place=== {{football box | date = 14 October 2015 | time = 16:30 | team1 = {{fbu-rt|23|QAT}} | score = 3–0 | team2 = {{fbu|23|YEM}} | report = [http://www.the-waff.com/assets/reports/469_match.jpg Report] | goals1 = [[Ahmed Alaaeldin|Alaa]] {{goal|19}}<br />[[Akram Afif|Afif]] {{goal|68}}<br />[[Hamza Sanhaji|Sanhaji]] {{goal|90+1}} | goals2 = | stadium = [[Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium]], [[Doha]] | attendance = 700 | referee = Nasrullo Kabirov ([[Tajikistan Football Federation|Tajikistan]]) }}
===Final=== {{football box | date = 14 October 2015 | time = 20:00 | team1 = {{fbu-rt|23|SYR|1980}} | score = 0–2 | team2 = {{fbu|23|IRN}} | report = [http://www.the-waff.com/assets/reports/470_match.jpg Report] | goals1 = | goals2 = [[Alireza Naghizadeh|Naghizadeh]] {{goal|58}}<br />[[Amir Arsalan Motahari|Motahari]] {{goal|81}} | stadium = [[Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium]], [[Doha]] | attendance = 1,700 | referee = Mongkolchai Pechsri ([[Football Association of Thailand|Thailand]]) }}
===Winners=== {{winners|fbu|23|2015 WAFF U-23 Championship winners|IRN|1st}}
==Final standing== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- !width=40|Rank !width=180|Team |- bgcolor=gold |{{Gold1}} |align=left|{{fbu|23|Iran}} |- bgcolor=silver |{{Silver2}} |align=left|{{fbu|23|Syria|1980}} |- bgcolor=CC9966 |{{Bronze3}} |align=left|{{fbu|23|QAT}} |- |4 |align=left|{{fbu|23|Yemen}} |- |5 |align=left|{{fbu|23|KSA}} |- |6 |align=left|{{fbu|23|UAE}} |- |7 |align=left|{{fbu|23|Palestine}} |- |8 |align=left|{{fbu|23|Jordan}} |- |9 |align=left|{{fbu|23|Oman}} |- |10 |align=left|{{fbu|23|Bahrain}} |- |} {{col-end}}
== Player awards == * Best Player: {{flagicon|IRN}} [[Amir Arsalan Motahari]] * Top Scorer: {{flagicon|QAT}} [[Akram Afif]] * Best Goalkeeper: {{flagicon|IRN}} [[Mohammadreza Akhbari]]
==Goalscorers== ;4 goals {{Div col|colwidth=22em}} * {{flagicon|QAT}} [[Akram Afif]] {{div col end}}
;3 goals {{Div col|colwidth=22em}} * {{flagicon|IRN}} [[Amir Arsalan Motahari]] * {{flagicon|JOR}} [[Ahmed Hisham]] * {{flagicon|SYR|1980}} [[Nasouh Al Nakdali]] * {{flagicon|YEM}} [[Waleed Al-Hubaishi]] {{div col end}}
;2 goals {{Div col|colwidth=22em}} * {{flagicon|PLE}} [[Islam Batran]] * {{flagicon|QAT}} [[Hamza Sanhaji]] * {{flagicon|KSA}} [[Abdulla Madou]] * {{flagicon|KSA}} [[Abdulmajeed Al-Sulayhem]] {{div col end}}
;1 goal {{Div col|colwidth=22em}} * {{flagicon|BHR}} [[Abdula Ali Hasan]] * {{flagicon|BHR}} [[Ali Abdulrasool]] * {{flagicon|IRN}} [[Hossein Fazeli]] * {{flagicon|IRN}} [[Mehrdad Mohammadi]] * {{flagicon|IRN}} [[Roozbeh Cheshmi]] * {{flagicon|IRN}} [[Alireza Naghizadeh]] * {{flagicon|IRN}} [[Mohammad Daneshgar]] * {{flagicon|JOR}} [[Baha' Faisal]] * {{flagicon|OMA}} [[Marwan Taaib]] * {{flagicon|OMA}} [[Khalid Al Hamdani]] * {{flagicon|OMA}} [[Jameel Saleem]] * {{flagicon|OMA}} [[Ahmed Al Siyabi]] * {{flagicon|QAT}} [[Almoez Ali]] * {{flagicon|QAT}} [[Ahmed Alaaeldin]] * {{flagicon|KSA}} [[Raed Al-Ghamdi]] * {{flagicon|SYR|1980}} [[Mahmoud Al Bahr]] * {{flagicon|SYR|1980}} [[Abdullah Al Shami]] * {{flagicon|SYR|1980}} [[Khaled Mobayed]] * {{flagicon|UAE}} [[Khalifa Mubarak]] * {{flagicon|UAE}} [[Ebraheim Khameis]] * {{flagicon|UAE}} [[Saif Khalfan]] * {{flagicon|UAE}} [[Ahmed Rabee]] * {{flagicon|UAE}} [[Sultan Saif]] * {{flagicon|YEM}} [[Ahmed Abdullah (footballer)|Ahmed Abdullah]] * {{flagicon|YEM}} [[Abdulmuain Al-Jarshi]] {{div col end}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{West Asian Football Federation Championship}}
[[Category:WAFF U-23 Championship tournaments|U23 2015]] [[Category:Youth international association football competitions hosted by Qatar|2015]] [[Category:2015 in Qatari sport]] [[Category:2015 in Asian football]]