Indian football team defeated Bangladesh 2-1 in the final of SAFF U-18 Championship 2019 in Katmandu to lift the title first time.
From the beginning, India played aggressively and Vikram Pratap Singh did not take much time to hand India a 1-0 lead. Singh scored in the second minute of the match. Before the conclusion of the first half, Bangladesh’s Yeasin managed to score an equaliser which brought the scoreline to 1-1.
Both teams were reduced to 10-men each in the 22nd minute when Gurkirat Singh and Md Fahim were given marching orders following a tiff. Bangladesh were further reduced to nine men in the 40th minute when their skipper Yeasin was booked for a second yellow card for “illegitimate celebration” following the equaliser.
In the second half, both the teams gave each other tough competition and restricted each other from scoring a goal. However, it was India’s Ravi Bahadur Rana (90+1′) who broke the deadlock by scoring a goal which sealed his team’s victory in the match.
Coach Floyd Pinto says tournament will help India prepare for AFC U-19 Championship Qualifiers.
“I had maintained that it will take a moment of brilliance to end this SAFF Championship, and it was fitting that Ravi finished if off with a wonderful strike,”. “We were not just the best footballing team in the tournament, but also the most effective team. I am really happy for the boys. They earned it,” he added.
Head coach Floyd Pinto
This article was originally published on FirstPost.com