With outstanding performances of striker Mirajul Islam, Rabby Hossen and Piash Ahmmed Nova, the Bangladesh under-20 men's national football team lifted its first-ever trophy of the SAFF Under-20 Championship following a 4-1 victory over the host Nepal in the final at the ANFA Complex in the Lalitpur Metropolitan City on Wednesday.
Bangladesh was the runner-up in the 2022 SAFF Under-20 Championship. The nation had been waiting long to see a trophy of the age-level tournament as the boys failed to win the champion's trophy in the Under-18, Under-19, or Under-20 before. Winning the final in Nepal, Bangladesh finally won its first-ever Under-20 trophy in history.
On the day, the boys from Bangladesh found the net in the injury time of the first half. Striker Mirajul Islam took an eye-catching freekick and the perfectly calculated shot rocked the post. As a result, Bangladesh went to the breather with a lead.
The Bangladeshi boys continued the spirit in the second half as well. Striker Mirajul doubled the lead in the 54th minute. Winger Asadul Islam Sakib curved the ball onto the small box and striker Rabby Hossen passed the ball to Mirajul with a head and Mirajul headed the ball into the post.
A combined attack of Rabby and Mirajul from the left wing brought the third goal for Bangladesh in the 70th minute. The two tricked the markers a while and passed the ball between them before Miraj passed the ball back to Rabby at the right time and the striker wasted no time to take a precise shot toward goal.
Although the hosts finally succeeded in reducing the margin by one goal in the 80th minute, they could not do anything more. Heading on a longshot of midfielder Ram Thapa, striker Samir Tamang scored the goal.
Bangladesh finished the final in style scoring the fourth goal in the sixth minute of the injury time in the second half. Rabby provided the ball to midfielder Piash Ahmmed Nova near the small box and the midfielder nicely placed the ball home. The Naples could not reduce the margin till the long whistle.
Bangladesh striker Mirajul Islam became the top scorer of the tournament by netting four goals.
Earlier on Monday, Bangladesh stormed into the final of the tournament after eliminating the Indian side from the semi-final by 4-3 in a tie-breaker after the regular match saw a 1-1 tie.
