Bangladesh U-19s booked their place in the final of the SAFF U-19 Championship with a well-earned 2-1 victory over Nepal in the first semi-final at the Golden Jubilee Stadium in Arunachal Pradesh on Friday.
Second-half goals from Ashikur Rahman and captain Nazmul Huda Faysal were enough to see off a determined Nepal side and take Bangladesh one step closer to defending the regional youth title.
Nepal made their intentions clear from the start, pressing high and disrupting Bangladesh’s attempts to play out from the back. The midfield came under pressure, with the young boys in red and green forced to make quicker decisions.
Despite the pressing, Bangladesh’s front three looked lively, and Faysal operated effectively just behind them, always looking to thread passes and test the Nepalese backline.
Mursed Ali was heavily marked, often swarmed by two defenders whenever he got on the ball, which limited his space to operate.
The best chance of the first half fell to Rifat, who latched onto a through ball from Faysal, only to be denied by the Nepal goalkeeper.
Nepal themselves struck the post once, and the half ended goalless.
In the second half, Bangladesh grew into the game with more control.
After surviving a scare when goalkeeper Mahin spilled a long-range shot but recovered brilliantly, they finally found the breakthrough in the 73rd minute.
Faysal floated in a precise corner to the far post, where Ashikur Rahman rose highest to head home.
Just seven minutes later, Faysal got on the scoresheet himself.
Md Manik made an unselfish decision to square the ball to the skipper instead of shooting from a good position, and Faysal made no mistake, doubling the lead with a composed finish.
Nepal hit back in the 86th minute through Sujan Dangal, who found space in the box and fired past Mahin to make it 2-1.
The final moments were tense, with Faysal nearly adding a third in stoppage time, only to be closed down by two defenders.
Bangladesh held on and were deserved winners. It wasn’t always fluid, but it was brave and calculated—exactly what knockout football demands.
Bd-Pratidin English/ARK
