| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Bangladesh |
| Dates | 10–20 January |
| Venue(s) | 1 (in 1 host city) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Bangladesh (1st title) |
| Runners-up |  Maldives |
| Third place |  India |
| Fourth place |  Pakistan |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 16 |
| Goals scored | 39 (2.44 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Sarfraz Rasool (4 goals) |
| Best player(s) | Rajani Kanta Barman[1] |
← 1999 2005 → | |
The 2003 South Asian Football Federation Gold Cup was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh between 10 January 2003 and 20 January 2003. All matches were played at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. Originally scheduled to be held between 26 January 2002 and 5 February 2002, the tournament was postponed due to the suspension of Bangladesh Football Federation by FIFA. Afghanistan were not in the draw, but were included in the tournament following an AFC recommendation to do so. It was also Bhutan's first tournament.[2]
The final was contested by Bangladesh and the Maldives. Ali Umar had levelled in the second half after Kanchan had given Bangladesh the lead. The match went to penalties and Asraf Lufty had missed from the spot for the Maldives. Mohammed Sujan kept his nerve to score the final penalty giving Bangladesh a 5–3 victory, and with it, their first SAFF Cup championship. Pakistan's Safraz Rasool was top goal scorer.
- ^ "New SAFF kings". The Daily Star. 21 January 2003. Archived from the original on 24 March 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
- ^ "SAFF Championship 2003". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 24 March 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2023.