Thimphu (Bhutan): India’s stranglehold over the SAFF U17 Championship remained unscathed when they retained the title defeating Bangladesh 2-0 in the final of the 2024 edition at the Changlimithang Stadium here on Monday night.
After a barren first half, Mohammed Kaif put India ahead with a beauty of a header in the 58th minute. Whatever challenges Bangladesh were left with were finished off by Md Arbash in the 95th minute with a stinging left-footer.
Indian boys called the shots from the beginning, but it is never easy to find the target against a team, who refuse to show interest in taking the ball ahead and take the pitch with an utmost defensive mindset. It happened with the Blue Colts today. The Indians found their road blocked by a jungle of legs whenever they managed to carry the ball into the opposition half.
In such a scenario, set pieces remain the last resort and it helped the Indians too. In the 58th minute came India’s first goal from a corner kick. Mohammed Kaif's accurate header, a delicate flick rather, left little chance for the Bangladesh custodian Nahidul Islam to react.
Not that Bangladesh were disheartened. In fact, the lead taken by India forced them to react positively and come out of their shells. It nearly brought result in the 67th minute when goalkeeper Aheibam Suraj Singh had to come out of his charge to avert a situation that had a goal written all over.
To the delight of the goodly spectators at the stadium, India were not ready to sit on the slender lead and carry the day with it. They looked eager to make it more emphatic and kept on their attacking posture. It turned the game interesting.
India were rewarded for their persistence in the 95th minute when the ball reached Arbash inside the box. He didn’t wait and fired a left-footer that crashed against the net to ensure the Blue Colts travel back to India with the winners’ trophy.
The first half was a repeat show of India’s group league match against Bangladesh. While the Indian boys attacked relentlessly, their rivals packed the defence with half a dozen men and preferred to play the waiting game.
Only once in the entire 45 minutes Bangladesh came anywhere near the Indian goal; it was a move on the break and the cross at the goalmouth was intercepted in time by goalkeeper Suraj Singh.
India, on the other hand, were on the move from the word go; through the right, left and the middle. They opened up the Bangladesh goalmouth time and again, but their lack of finishing touches let them down. All the Indian strikers were right there, but none of them could rise to the occasion when it came to decision making moments.
Md Arbash was named the Player of the Tournament. Aheibam Suraj Singh was named the Goalkeeper of the Tournament.