SAFF U-17 Championship 2025: Bangladesh Suffer Heartbreaking Defeat To India In Final

Bangladesh Were On The Brink Of Defeat, Trailing 1-2 Late In Regular Time In The SAFF U-17 Championship Final Against Defending Champions India At The Racecourse Ground In Colombo. But In The Seventh Minute Of Added Time, A Moment Of Magic From Ihsan Habib Ridwan, Who Headed In From A Long Throw-In, Kept Bangladesh Alive And Sent The Match Into A Penalty Shootout.

In The Shootout, Md Ikramul Islam And Md Azam Khan Missed Bangladesh’s First Two Attempts, While Goalkeeper Md Alif Rahman Imtiage Was Unable To Stop Any Of India’s First Three Shots. Md Manik Converted The Third Penalty For Bangladesh, But India’s Shubham Poonia Netted The Fourth, Securing A 4-1 Win In The Tiebreaker And Retaining The Trophy.

The Match Itself Was A Rollercoaster Of Emotions. India Struck First In The Fourth Minute, Capitalizing On A Left-Flank Cross That Dallalmuon Gangte Calmly Converted Despite Bangladeshi Defenders In The Way.

Bangladesh Responded In The 25th Minute When Mohammad Manik Headed Home From A Corner Delivered By Faisal Ahmed Fahim To Level The Score. India Regained The Lead In The 38th Minute After A Clearance Attempt By A Bangladeshi Defender Deflected Azlan Shah’s Shot Into The Net.

Bangladesh Pressed Hard In The Second Half, Hitting The Crossbar And Forcing Several Saves From India’s Goalkeeper, But The Equalizer Only Came In Stoppage Time Through Ridwan’s Brilliant Finish.

“We Aimed To Perform Well In The Final And Assess The Young Players’ Ability To Handle Pressure. The Boys Played Very Well Throughout The Tournament. In The Final, They Made Small Mistakes And Conceded Goals But Bounced Back With Confidence. Overall, They Have Shown Improvement In International Football,” Bangladesh Head Coach Golam Rabbani Said In A Video Message Provided By The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) After The Match.

Earlier, The Boys In Red And Green Topped Group A After Thrashing Nepal And Hosts Sri Lanka By Identical 4-0 Margins, Before Sealing Their Place In The Title-Decider With A 2-0 Win Over Pakistan In The First Semifinal.