Bangladesh U-19s edge past Nepal to reach Saff final again

Bangladesh have reached the final of the SAFF U-19 Championship for the second successive edition after a hard-fought 2-1 win over Nepal in the first semi-final held on 16 May at the Golden Jubilee Stadium in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh.

The defending champions, led by skipper Nazmul Huda Faisal, had to dig deep to overcome a spirited Nepal side that gave them little room to dominate. Both teams entered the match with contrasting fortunes from the group stage, but on the pitch, the margins were razor-thin.

The first half unfolded in a cagey fashion, with chances at both ends but no breakthrough. Bangladesh looked more energetic in the opening stages but were often met with stiff resistance from the Nepal defence. On the other end, goalkeeper Ismail Hossain Mahin had to stay alert as Nepal created a few threatening moments of their own. Despite the flurry of attacking exchanges, the scoreline remained 0-0 at the break.

Bangladesh came out for the second half with renewed intent and gradually imposed more pressure. Their persistence paid off in the 73rd minute when a well-delivered corner from Faisal was met with a powerful header by defender Ashiqur Rahman to open the scoring. It was the breakthrough Bangladesh had been pressing for, and it tilted the momentum in their favour.

Just eight minutes later, Faisal was again at the heart of the action—this time as the scorer. Receiving a well-timed assist from Mohammad Manik, the captain showed composure inside the box to slot home the second goal in the 81st minute, giving Bangladesh a 2-0 cushion.

Nepal, to their credit, did not fold. They pulled one back in the 87th minute through Sujan Dangol, whose strike brought life back into the contest. In the seven minutes of stoppage time that followed, Nepal threw men forward in search of an equaliser. Faisal had a late opportunity to seal the match definitively after a defensive error by Nepal, but his effort went wide. Nonetheless, the Junior Tigers held on for a 2-1 victory and a place in the final.

The win not only sends Bangladesh through to the final once again but also keeps alive their hopes of defending the title they won in the previous edition, where they had beaten Nepal 4-1 in the final. That match had marked Bangladesh's first SAFF U-19 crown; now they are one step away from retaining it.

In the group stage, Bangladesh had mixed results but did enough to top Group A. They began their campaign with a 2-2 draw against the Maldives, a match where defensive frailties were evident. However, they bounced back strongly in their second outing, brushing aside Bhutan with a convincing 3-0 win to finish with four points and seal the top spot in their group.

Nepal had qualified as runners-up from Group B, and despite pushing Bangladesh to the limit in the semi-final, they came up just short. In the day's second semi-final, hosts India—Group B champions—were set to face the Maldives, the runners-up from Group A.

The SAFF U-19 Championship final will be held on 19 May at the same venue.