India and Bangladesh U17 Teams to Clash in SAFF Championship Final in Bhutan
The Indian men’s U17 football team is set to face Bangladesh in the final of the 2024 SAFF U17 Championship. The match will take place at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan, on Monday at 17:30 IST.
India started their campaign with a last-minute 1-0 victory over Bangladesh in the group stage, mirroring last year’s events where the India U16 team defeated Bangladesh 1-0 in the opening match and later 2-0 in the final. Head coach Ishfaq Ahmed and his team hope to defend their title successfully.
Historically, India and Bangladesh have met four times in the finals of SAFF men’s age-group tournaments, with India winning three times and Bangladesh once. Ahmed acknowledged Bangladesh’s strong performance in the semi-final and emphasized the importance of consistency for his team.
India advanced to the final with a 4-2 victory over Nepal in a thrilling semi-final. Vishal Yadav’s two goals in the second half gave India the lead, and goals from substitutes Ningthoukhongjam Rishi Singh and Hemneichung Lunkim secured the win. Ahmed praised his team’s proficiency with set-pieces, which has been a key factor in their success.
In the other semi-final, Bangladesh showed remarkable resilience by coming from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Pakistan. They then won the match by successfully converting all eight of their penalties. Bangladesh head coach Saiful Bari Titu expressed confidence in his team’s ability to win the final.
Doubts Revealed
U17 -: U17 means ‘Under 17’. It refers to players who are under 17 years old.
SAFF Championship -: SAFF stands for South Asian Football Federation. It’s a football tournament for South Asian countries.
Changlimithang Stadium -: Changlimithang Stadium is a big sports stadium in Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan.
Thimphu -: Thimphu is the capital city of Bhutan, a small country near India.
campaign -: In sports, a campaign means the series of matches a team plays in a tournament.
penalties -: Penalties are special kicks used to decide the winner if a match ends in a draw.
defend their championship -: This means India won the last tournament and wants to win again to keep their title.
