After a lot of drama over the final match of SAFF U-19 Women’s Championship between Bangladesh and India, the match officials declared both the team as champions.
Earlier, the match ended with 1-1 draw that pushed the fate of two teams to tiebreaker at at Bir Shrestha Shaheed Shipahi Mustofa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur on Thursday.
But it did not prove to be the end as a mistake by the match commissioner made the situation complicated.
According to the local media officer, the bylaws have it that the tiebreaker should have continued until the winner is decided on sudden death.
Match commissioner Silva Jayasooriya Dilan realized the error and wanted to turn the game back on but Indian officials refused to play and left the pitch along with the players.
Bangladesh players stayed on for the final decision for more than an hour.
Eventually, the two teams were declared joint champions.
The stipulated time of the intense final in the capital’s Bir Sreshtha Shaheed Sipahi Mostafa Kamal Stadium ended 1-1 after in-form striker Mosammat Sagorika rescued the hosts once again with a stoppage-time equalizer that cancelled out Sibani Devi’s early lead.
Nobody missed any penalty in the shootout, which is a rare occasion in South Asian Football Federation competitions.
Bangladesh players and officials could not accept defeat but their protests fell on deaf ears.
Afeida Khandaker, Surma Jannat, Joynob Bibi Rita, Sapna Rani, Munki Akhter, Eity Khatun, Sultana Akter, Umehla Marma, Sagorika, Kanon Rani and lastly, goalkeeper Swarna Rani converted in the shootout but the result of the toss made them down.
Earlier, India pressed high from the beginning with swift attacks against the hosts but managed to create only a couple of chances in the opening half, and converted one.
A defense splitting through pass from Indian skipper Nitu Linda was received by winger Sibani who broke the deadlock with only eight minutes on the clock.
Bangladesh could not come up with any promising attacks before the break except a couple of long efforts from Sapna Rani – one flew inches over while the other went straight to the keeper.
Sapna and Linda vied in midfield for possession but the former could not connect well with the forwards, including Sagorika.
Rushing into the penalty area in the fifth minute before putting a cross into the middle that was cleared away was the first half’s only notable action of Sagorika who was tightly marked.
India continued to put pressure on the reigning champions after the lead as Sibani missed the target by a whisker with a powerful strike few minutes later.
Saiful Bari Titu made only one change from the game against India in the opening round as defender Ruma Akter replaced Umehla Marma but could not fill the expectations.
India coach Sukla Dutta also made a single change from the last Bangladesh tie bringing in Sahena in place of Heena Khatun.
Sapna, arguably Bangladesh’s best player in the game, hit the woodwork straight from a corner three minutes before the end of normal time.
Sagorika, who netted the winner against the same side in the 92nd minute of the first round clash, stole the show once again, this time three minutes into additional time.
Snatching the ball away from Chanu Toijam with high feet just on the edge of the box, Sagorika stepped inside and calmly slotted home into the bottom near post to bag her fourth goal of the tournament.
Bangladesh earlier defeated Nepal 3-1, India 1-0 and Bhutan 4-0 to finish the first round on top with maximum points while India thrashed Bhutan 10-0 and Nepal 4-0 but lost the other tie.
