Bangladesh secured a spot in the semifinals of the SAFF U-19 Championship after defeating Bhutan 3-0, confirming their place from Group ‘A’ before the group stage ended. However, their position as group winners depended on the outcome of the Maldives vs. Bhutan match. Since that match ended in a 2-2 draw, Bangladesh advanced to the last four as group toppers with 4 points.
In the final group match, played at the Golden Jubilee Stadium in Arunachal, India, the Maldives were held to a 2-2 draw by Bhutan.
Earlier, Bangladesh drew 0-0 in their opening match against the Maldives. But they bounced back strongly, beating Bhutan 3-0 under the guidance of coach Golam Rabbani Choton.
Following that, the Maldives needed to beat Bhutan by at least a 4-goal margin to surpass Bangladesh. However, with the match ending in a draw, the Maldives finished as group runners-up with 2 points.
Bhutan, with just 1 point, ended at the bottom of Group ‘A’ and exited the tournament.
In Group ‘B’, hosts India secured a dominant 3-0 win over Nepal, topping the group with two straight victories and advancing to the semifinals. Nepal, with 3 points, finished second in the group.
Bangladesh will face Nepal in the first semifinal this Friday, while the second semifinal will feature India against the Maldives.
Bangladesh previously won the SAFF U-19 Championship in 2015, when they reached the final for the first time and claimed the title. This time, the red-and-green boys aim to repeat that success by defeating Nepal and reaching the final for a second time.
UA / TDS
