Bangladesh beat India 3-2 on penalties to claim the SAFF U-16 Women’s Championship 2024 title in a breathtaking finale at the ANFA Complex in Lalitpur in Nepal, today (March 10).

Bangladesh clinched the championship title in a nail-biting tiebreaker 3-2, following a gripping 90-minute game that ended in a 1-1 draw.

Goalkeeper Yearzan Begum emerged as the standout player in the final, thwarting three attempts after Bangladesh rallied from a goal deficit to force the match into a tiebreaker.

Yearzan's heroics saw crucial misses from the team's star players – Sauravi Akanda Prity and Alpi Akter – but fortunately, these misses did not haunt the Bangladesh team.

India took an early lead through Anushka Kumari's fourth-minute strike, but Bangladesh equalized in the 71st minute with a header from Mariam Binte Hanna.

Throughout the championship, Bangladesh remained unbeaten, entering the final with a flawless record, including a 3-1 victory over their final opponents in the round-robin stage.

This triumph brings immense joy and satisfaction to Saiful Bari Titu and his team, especially after the recent disappointment of sharing the trophy with their neighboring country in the under-19 final in Dhaka just a month ago. 

BDST: 1740 HRS, MAR 10, 2024
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