Bangladesh was waiting for the opponent after confirming the semi-final of SAFF U-20 Championship. After losing to Nepal and becoming group runners-up, it was assumed that Bangladesh would have to play India in the fight to reach the final. In the end it happened.
A draw against Maldives in the last match of ‘B’ group on Friday would have guaranteed India a top spot in the semi-finals. The match was heading for a draw in Kathmandu.
However, India won the match and entered the semi-finals as the best group. India scored in the fifth minute of injury time to seal a dramatic victory. Bhutan reached the semi-finals as runners-up from India’s group.
Nepal and Bhutan will meet in the first semi-final on Sunday. Bangladesh and India will play in the second semi-final the next day. The tournament will conclude with the final on August 28. Despite the success of Bangladesh in the age group, the under-20 team has never been a champion.
Bangladesh completed Group A runners-up to reach the semifinal of the SAFF U-20 Championship losing to hosts Nepal by 1-2 goals at the ANFA complex in Lalitpur on Thursday.
After the match, Nepal emerged Group A champions to qualify for the semis with all-win run securing full six points from straight two matches while Bangladesh finished group runners-up with three points from two matches.
Bangladesh will play the semifinal on August 26 against the winners of India and the Maldives, who will meet each other in the last group B match on Friday.
Bangladesh, which assured the semifinal berth earlier from the group beating Sri Lanka by 2-0 goals last Tuesday, needed just a draw against Nepal on Thursday to be the group champions, but miserably conceded two quick goals in span of only two minutes in the first half.
Bangladeshi custodian Mehdi Hasan Srabon, who was standing near midfield when Bangladesh taking a corner kick, was fully responsible for conceding goal in the 16th minute.
Over advanced Srabon tried to foil Nepalese counter attack in the midfield but failed and Nepalese forward Samir Tamang did not face any trouble to score the first goal beating Bangladesh custodian (1-0).
Two minutes later, Niranjan Dhami doubled the Nepalese margin (2-0) by a good shot giving no chance to Srabon.
After conceding two quick goals, Bangladesh coach Maruful Haque made two chances in their line up and later took its fruit.
Mirajul reduced the Bangladesh margin scoring a goal in the 43rd minute from a penalty (2-1) but finally failed to change the fate of the match.
In the 2nd half, both the teams tried their best to score goal but failed.
The 2024 SAFF U-20 Championship is the 6th edition of the SAFF U-20 Championship, an international football competition for men’s under-20 national teams from South Asia region, organized by the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). The tournament playing in Lalitpur and Kathmandu, Nepal from 18–28 August 2024.India are the defending champions, who won their third title by defeating Pakistan 3–0 goals in the final on 30 September 2023
