Bangladesh U-17s fall short in SAFF Championship final against India
Reigning champions secure 2-0 win with late goal sealing the title in Bhutan
Bangladesh's U-17 boys suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of India in the SAFF Under-17 Championship 2024 final on Monday, held in Thimphu, Bhutan.
Despite their best efforts, the junior Bengal Tigers struggled to match India's control of the game, particularly in terms of possession.
India took the lead in the second half through a well-timed header by Mohammed Kaif in the 58th minute. Bangladesh, who had focused primarily on counter-attacks, managed to create a good opportunity to equalise but couldn't capitalise on their chance. With the clock running down, India's Mohammad Arbash secured victory with a second goal in the 95th minute during stoppage time.
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Bangladesh had managed to keep India at bay in the first half, displaying a solid defensive performance. However, India's dominance in possession and sharp finishing proved to be decisive.
The final mirrored last year's U-16 SAFF Championship, also played in Thimphu, where India beat Bangladesh by the same 2-0 margin to claim the title.
Bangladesh's journey to the final was filled with challenges, but despite overcoming many obstacles, they were unable to break India's hold on the trophy.
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