Bangladesh clinch SAFF U-20 Women’s Championship

Sabbir Hossain :
Bangladesh Under-20 Women’s Football team clinched the title of the SAFF Under-20 Women’s Championship crushing Nepal Under-20 Women’s Football team by three goals to nil in their final match at the Bir Shreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in the city’s Kamalapur on Thursday.
Bangladesh dominated over their counterpart Nepal in the total match and earned the victory as they deserved it.
Bangladesh had a comfortable 2-0 lead in the first half.
Shaheda Akter, Shamsunnahar Junior and Unnoti Khatun scored one goal each for the victorious team.
Shaheda Akter put her team ahead by a spectacular right-footer angular shot in the 41st minute of the play.
Shamsunnahar Junior solely advanced with the ball and entered the Nepal’s D-box and made it 2-0 by deceiving the Nepal goalie Kabita in 45th minute of the match.
After the lemon-break, Unnoti Khatun got the ball from a right-side free-kick of Shaheda Akter and she made no mistake to put the ball into the blank net from a handshaking distance in the 87th minute of the match.
Bangladesh got their first chance in the early 2nd minute of the play when Aklima Khatun got the Nepal custodian alone but she struck the ball over the crosspiece. Aklima got another chance in the 17th minute when she got a cross at the Nepal’s danger zone but Aklima’s shot was gripped by Nepal goalie.
Shaheda Akter’s spectacular shot was saved by Nepal’s custodian Kabita in the 38th minute of the match.
Nepal got only one remarkable chance in the first half but Amisha Karki’s grounder shot narrowly passed away the goalbar in the 39th minute of the game.
After the intermission, Shamsunnahar Junior got the ball from a free-kick of Affida Khnadaker but Shamsunnahar struck the ball over the cross-piece in the 65th minute of the match.
In the 78th minute, Shamsunnahar’s power-packed 30-yarder narrowly went outside the goalbar.
After one minute, Amisha Karki’s shot was saved by Bangladesh goalie Rupna Chakma at the cost of a corner shot.