Bangladesh booked their place in the SAFF U-19 Championship final with a thrilling 2-1 win over Nepal in the semifinal on Friday (May 16) at the Golden Jubilee Stadium in Arunachal Pradesh, India.
The first half ended goalless, but the second half brought plenty of action. In the 73rd minute, Ashiqur Rahman opened the scoring with a brilliant header from a Nazmul Huda Faisal corner. Just eight minutes later, Faisal doubled the lead in the 81st minute, converting a pass from Manik.
Nepal pulled one back in the 87th minute through Sujan Dangol, but it wasn’t enough to stop Bangladesh from securing the win and a spot in the final.
With this victory, Bangladesh have reached the SAFF U-19 final for the second consecutive time. In the previous edition, they defeated Nepal 4-1 in the final to lift the title. Now, they are just one step away from defending their crown.
Bangladesh advanced to the semifinals as Group A winners, following a 2-2 draw against the Maldives and a 3-0 win over Bhutan. Meanwhile, Group B champions India will face Maldives (Group A runners-up) in the second semifinal.
The final will be held on May 19 at the same venue, where Bangladesh will look to claim back-to-back SAFF U-19 titles and cement their dominance in South Asian youth football.
