Bangladesh won the trophy of the SAFF Under-16 Girls Championship 2024 after the girls in red and green outfits outsmarted the Indian opponents by 3-2 in a tiebreaker as the stipulated time saw a 1-1 tie in the final in Nepal on Sunday Beating India in a nail-biting tiebreaker was not easy. Tiebreakers are always tough as booters go through a lot of things there. The one taking the shot also gets to feel the emotion of the team, a sense of responsibility, pressure, tension, a little bit of fate and whatnot! The tiniest thing can change the entire scenario there.
Bangladesh booters certainly succeeded in carrying the weight of the nation honourably. That was why the roar of the tigress and exaltation of some hundred fans of Bangladesh were heard echoed in the Kathmandu Valley for quite sometime after the victory on the day.
The final was a showcase of resilience and skill from both teams, who had previously met in the previous round of the tournament with Bangladesh securing a win.
It was a hard-fought victory for the young tigress as the opponents were more organised than ever. Even though Bangladesh previously beat India by 3-1 just five days ago, the India rivals were comparatively more methodical in the final.
India took an early lead in the final with a goal from Anushka in the fifth minute. The All-Nepal Football Association Complex in the Lalitpur Metropolitan City witnessed the turningpoint of the match when Bangladesh responded with an equaliser in the 71stminute, setting the stage for a tense finish. The tension got higher when the stipulated time ended 1-1 tie.
As the match proceeded to penalties, Bangladesh won the tournament by 3-2 in the tiebreaker. In the shootout, BangladeshibootersMariam Binta Hanna, ThuinuyeMarma, and Sathi Munda found the net while, in response, Indian bootersShveta Rani and AnwitaRaghuraman scored.
Previously, in the group round, Bangladesh celebrated a flying start in the tournament with a 2-0 win over the host Nepal in its first match and secured the final outplaying India in a vital match by 3-1 with one match yet to play in the group round. The Bangladesh girls easily won over Bhutan by 6-0 in the last match of the round.
In the award programme, Bhutan was given the Fair Play trophy. Anushka Kumari from India was adjudged the top scorer for scoring the highest six goals. SauraviAkandaPrity from Bangladesh was awarded the Most Valuable Player while Bangladesh custodian Yearzan Begum was awarded the Golden Glove trophy.
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