Bangladesh crowned champions again in SAFF Women’s Under-20 Championship

Sports Desk

Bangladesh secured the title with a 4-0 win over Nepal in the final match of the SAFF Under-20 Women’s Championship at the Bashundhara Kings Arena on Monday. Mosammat Sagarika, who had a great performance in the tournament, was also impeccable in the final. She scored her second hat-trick of the tournament.

The victory reaffirmed Bangladesh’s dominance in women’s age-based football. Bangladesh has won seven of the 13 tournaments since the age-based competition was introduced in the region in 2017.

The match began with a minute of silence in memory of those killed in the crash of an Air Force training plane at Milestone School and College in Dhaka, which killed at least twenty people and injured hundreds in the capital earlier this morning.

After winning all five round-robin matches, Bangladesh needed only a draw to retain the title, but coach Peter Buttler took no chances against a dangerous Nepal side, selecting his preferred XI for the second time in the competition.

In the 8th minute of the game, Sagarika received a through-ball from Swapna Rani and curled the ball past Sujata with a perfect shot into the net. The home team was even more dominant after the break, with Sagarika doubling the lead with a stunning effort six minutes into the second half. The 17-year-old, receiving a through-ball from Umehla Marma, changed her footing and spun to fire a perfect shot into the net. She later scored two more goals, including a hat-trick.