Bangladesh sealed their place in the SAFF U-17 Championship final with a commanding 2-0 victory over Pakistan on Thursday afternoon at Racecourse Stadium in Colombo. The boys in red and green struck twice in the opening four minutes before showing discipline and maturity to keep their rivals at bay for the rest of the contest.
The match could not have started in better fashion for Bangladesh. In the third minute, Opu’s relentless pressing unsettled Pakistan defender Nadeem, who misplaced a pass back to his goalkeeper Saamar Razzak. The keeper compounded the error by fumbling again, allowing captain Nazmul Huda Faysal to pounce and slot the ball into the net. It was a goal gifted by Pakistan, but Faisal showed the composure and sharpness of a true leader to make it count.
Barely a minute later, Bangladesh doubled their lead with a moment of brilliance from Opu. Picking the ball up on the left flank, he outpaced two defenders before cutting inside and curling a fierce left-footed strike into the far corner. The early double stunned Pakistan, who had arrived in the last four with confidence after a strong group stage campaign.
Though Pakistan found the net in the 14th minute through Mansoor, the referee ruled it out for a foul in the build-up. From that point, Bangladesh looked superior, pressing high and moving the ball with authority. Last match’s hat-trick hero Rifat Kazi came close in the 25th minute, only to be denied by Razzak. Faysal, Opu and Rifat combined to stretch the Pakistan defence, while holding midfielder Kamal Merdha anchored play with calm authority.
After the frantic opening, Pakistan tried to regroup by pushing more numbers forward. They enjoyed brief spells of possession, but Bangladesh never looked rattled. In the second half, Faysal fired a powerful effort just wide in the 64th minute, while Ikramul’s strike three minutes later was smartly saved by the keeper. Pakistan threw everything forward, yet every attack was dealt with by Bangladesh’s backline, who refused to yield an inch.
Despite not adding to their lead, Bangladesh controlled the game and protected their advantage with maturity. Pakistan, who had dazzled in the group stage by winning their first two matches before narrowly losing to India, could find no way through.
Bangladesh now march into the final with confidence, where they will meet the winner of tonight’s second semi-final between India and Nepal. The title decider will be played on 27 September, and on current form, Bangladesh look ready to fight for silverware.
