Both Bangladesh and India were declared joint champions after the final match of the SAFF U-19 Women’s Championship witnessed a lot of drama at the Shaheed Shipahi Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur on Thursday.
 
India won the game in a toss but Bangladesh officials protested the decisions as the bylaws suggested the game results would be decided through sudden death. 
 
According to Bangladesh football team officials, the match commissioner endorsed his mistake and instructed to resume the sudden death but India left the venue in the meantime.
 
India didn’t return to the field and later on both the teams were declared joint winners of the tournament.
 
Earlier, India dominated the first half 1-0 with their eighth minute lead that came from Neha’s score that was canceled out by Sagorika’s goal in the third minute of the four-minute injury time.
 
The game result was tied on 12- 12 after the sudden death as all the players scored in the penalty and in the sudden death.
 
Bangladesh won the title three times in 2018, 2021, and 2023, while India won it in 2022.
 
In 2021, Bangladesh clinched the title unbeaten, conceding no goals in five games, as they beat India 1-0 in the final as well as in the league phase.
 
In the next edition, the result was simply reversed, with Bangladesh losing 0-1 in both the league phase and the final against India.

BDST: 0159 HRS, FEB 09, 2024
MSK