Bangladesh are now just one step away from clinching the SAFF Under-20 Women’s Championship title.
A convincing 5-0 win against Sri Lanka in their fifth group match has kept the hosts unbeaten and firmly on top of the table with 15 points from five games.
Their final challenge comes on 21 July against Nepal. A draw in that match will be enough for Bangladesh to be crowned champions. However, if Nepal manage a win, both teams will finish with 15 points. In that case, the title will be decided by head-to-head goal difference between the two sides. If still equal, the tournament will go to a penalty shootout.
Nepal earlier demolished Bhutan 8-0 at Kings Arena’s training ground, taking their goal tally to 30 and their goal difference to +26. Bangladesh, who went into the Sri Lanka fixture trailing by 11 goals in goal difference, reduced the gap to six with their latest 5-0 result. They now sit on +20 heading into the final clash.
Bangladesh had routed Sri Lanka 9-1 in the tournament opener. Though they scored fewer goals this time, they created plenty of chances but were let down by poor finishing. The Sri Lankan goalkeeper made several fine saves to keep the scoreline respectable.
Kanan Rani Bahadur opened the scoring in the 25th minute with a powerful strike from outside the box. Surma Jannat nearly added a second in the 38th minute when her shot struck the post. Just before the interval, right-back Pooja Das doubled the lead with a composed finish. Das later scored again in the second half with a long-range effort to make it 3-0.
In the 86th minute, Sreemoti Trishna Rani added the fourth after a dominant spell of attacking play. The Sri Lankan goalkeeper, who had been struggling with illness, was eventually substituted. The replacement keeper soon conceded when a handball in the box led to a penalty. Captain Afaida Khandaker stepped up and calmly converted to seal the 5-0 win.
Head coach Peter Butler made five changes to the starting eleven. Regulars such as Afaida, Swapna Rani, Umehla and Munki Akter were rested. Ferdousi Akter was handed her first start in goal, while Rupa Akter, Nadia Akter, Pooja Das and Kanan Rani were all given opportunities in the line-up. Surma Jannat wore the captain’s armband in the first half.
At the start of the second half, Butler introduced several of the regulars including Afaida and Swapna to push for more goals, but despite the added firepower, Bangladesh could only score three more.
The final showdown against Nepal on 21 July promises to be decisive. A draw will seal an unbeaten title run for Bangladesh, while a defeat will drag the outcome into tie-break equations.