Bangladesh Under-20 Women’s National Team retained their SAFF Under-20 Women’s Championship title in style, thrashing Nepal 4-0 in the final league match at the Bashundhara Kings Arena on Monday evening.
The star of the night was Mst Sagorika, who returned to the starting XI after serving a three-match suspension for a red card in the 56th minute of the previous Nepal fixture. Her comeback couldn’t have been more emphatic, as she scored all four goals to guide Bangladesh to the trophy.
The tournament returned to the Kings Arena for the final day after the venue had shifted to Ground 2 for matchdays four and five, following the now-infamous mid-game venue switch last Tuesday.
Bangladesh needed only a draw to retain the title, while Nepal had to win. Head coach Peter Butler made nine changes from the team that beat Sri Lanka, with only Puja Das and Mst Oeyshi Khatun retaining their places.
The Tigresses signalled intent from the outset. Sagorika tested Nepal goalkeeper Sujata Tamang just two minutes in, and in the next few minutes, Bangladesh earned successive corners. In the fifth minute, Sagorika’s goal-bound attempt was cleared off the line by Nepal defender Anisha Rai.
But the breakthrough arrived soon after. In the 8th minute, Sapna Rani split the defence with a line-breaking pass, allowing Sagorika to glide past Sujata and calmly slot into an open net.
Nepal showed moments of promise. In the 19th minute, a misjudged aerial ball by Bangladesh keeper Mile Akter created chaos in the box. Meena Deuba’s shot was blocked by Afeida Khandaker, and Purnima Rai’s follow-up rattled the post before Sukriya Miya’s rebound was brilliantly saved by Mile to preserve the lead.
Despite some nervy moments from Mile late in the first half, Bangladesh went into the break 1-0 up.
The second half saw complete domination from the home side. In the 51st minute, Sagorika struck the post after a surging run down the left. Moments later, Umehla Marma’s delivery found her just outside the box. A smart turn and a composed finish made it 2-0.
The 58th minute saw Sagorika complete her hat-trick. A long ball from Joynob Bibi Rita found her in space, and she chipped the ball delightfully over the onrushing Sujata to all but seal the win.
Sagorika continued to hunt for more. She forced a save in the 64th minute, had a goal ruled out for offside in the 72nd, and drew another save shortly after. But in the 77th minute, she struck again — this time calmly converting a pass from Munki Akhter to complete her poker.
Sagorika was subbed off to a warm reception in the 87th minute, having single-handedly dismantled Nepal’s defence.
Earlier in the day, Bhutan ended their campaign on a high, beating Sri Lanka 5-0 to finish with six points — enough to secure third place in the four-team tournament.
Bangladesh had also beaten Nepal in the final of the inaugural edition in 2023 to claim their first SAFF U-20 title. With back-to-back triumphs now under their belt, the Tigresses have further underlined their dominance in regional women’s youth football.
LND/SAE
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