India retains SAFF under-19 football trophy

India held its nerves in an exciting final to score a 4-3 win against Bangladesh via penalties to successfully defend the SAFF football championship (under-19) at the Golden Jubilee Stadium in Yupia (Arunachal Pradesh) on Sunday

Hyderabad: India held its nerves in an exciting final to score a 4-3 win against Bangladesh via penalties to successfully defend the SAFF football championship (under-19) at the Golden Jubilee Stadium in Yupia (Arunachal Pradesh) on Sunday.

The match had ended 1-1 after regulation time, forcing a nervy penalty shootout. Buoyed by a raucous crowd, India had taken the lead in the second minute through captain Singamayum Shami before Bangladesh equalised in the 61st minute through Md Joy Ahamed.

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The shootout was not for the faint-hearted. Rohen Singh’s limp second penalty gave Bangladesh the upper hand as keeper Md Ismail Hossain Mahin saved the spot-kick; the stadium fell silent.

But Bibiano Fernandes’ boys refused to buckle. When Bangladesh skipper Nazmul Huda Faysal blazed his effort over the cross-bar, the game swung back India’s way. With renewed belief, India converted their remaining kicks, and goalkeeper Suraj Singh Aheibam delivered when it mattered the most. He dived low to his left to deny Salahuddin Sahed.

Captain Singamayum Shami, who had started the evening with a stunning goal, stepped up for the final kick. Calm, composed, and full of conviction, he slotted it in to crown India champions once again. A fitting end to a tense and fiercely fought contest.

India had come flying out of the blocks. Within two minutes, they were ahead. Awarded a free-kick from over 30 yards out, Shami spotted the Bangladesh keeper slightly out of position and went for goal. His curling strike was pinpoint, and even though Mahin got a hand to it, the power behind the effort carried it into the net.

Bangladesh, rattled at first, grew into the game. They closed down spaces, cut off India’s passing channels, and slowly turned the tide. By half-time, they had begun to threaten with set-pieces, but India’s backline stood firm.

The breakthrough came in the 61st minute. A chaotic corner sparked a scramble in the box, and Md Joy Ahamed pounced on the loose ball, firing it past Suraj Singh to level the match. It was the first goal India had conceded in the tournament, and it came at the worst possible moment.From there, both teams pressed for a winner, but the game turned cagey and physical. The final third became a battlefield, and clear-cut chances were few and far between.

With the whistle blowing for full time, it all came down to the tie-breaker. And India captain Shami rose to the occasion a second time to bury the final penalty into the net and send his team and the crowd into delirium.