SAFF U19 Championship: Bangladesh and Nepal cruise into semi-finals
Yupia (Arunachal Pradesh) [India], May 12 (ANI): Bangladesh booked their spot in the SAFF U19 Championship 2025 semi-finals after defeating Bhutan 3-0 in their Group A clash at the Golden Jubilee Stadium on Sunday. In the other match of the day, Nepal began their campaign with a 5-0 demolition of Sri Lanka in Group B. The result confirmed both India and Nepal's progression into the last four.
Bangladesh, with this result, moved on to four points from two matches, after having drawn 2-2 against Maldives in their first match. With the top two from the three-team groups guaranteed a semi-finals spot, Bangladesh are assured of at least a second-placed finish in Group A, as per the AIFF official website.
India and Nepal will battle it out for top spot in Group B on May 13, with the Blue Colts only needing a draw to emerge as group winners. Bhutan will need to beat Maldives on the same day if they are to qualify for the semi-finals.
Right from the start, Bangladesh were in control and showed great attacking intent. Md Mursed Ali gave them the lead in the 13th minute with a composed finish, followed by a goal from Sree Sumon Soran in the 28th minute, which doubled their advantage.
Despite a spirited second-half effort from Bhutan, much like Maldives in Bangladesh's previous game, the Bangladeshi defence held firm. They managed the game well, controlling possession and denying Bhutan any real scoring opportunities. In stoppage time, Nazmul Huda Faysal sealed the win, capitalising on a goalkeeper error to score the third.
After starting on a cautious note initially, Sujan Dangol broke the deadlock in the first half stoppage time, giving Nepal the momentum heading into the break.
Dharbendra Kunwar then doubled the lead in the 62nd minute, before Subash Bam added a third with a fierce left-footed shot in the 76th to put the game beyond Sri Lanka's reach.
Nepal's substitutes added further gloss to the scoreline late in the game. Bigyan Khadka struck in the 89th minute, and Lachhu Thapa completed the rout with an injury-time free-kick into the top corner. With two consecutive losses, Sri Lanka are now officially out of the tournament. (ANI)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
"Kuldeep should be there...": Ashwin calls for spinner to feature in England Tests
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 14 (ANI): Ahead of India's first Test of the five-Test series against England at Leeds, former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin said that Kuldeep Yadav should be played in the series, especially in the absence of moisture on the pitch. Ashwin was speaking to Revsportz' Boria Majumdar. The first Test of the England tour will kickstart at Leeds from June 20. This will mark the start of India's ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2025-27. Speaking to Boria, Ashwin said that India have lost Tests in the past despite playing their best bowlers because their batters did not play well. However, if their batters do well, the bowling attack will win them matches. 'If they do not leave moisture on the pitch, then I think Kuldeep Yadav would be a certainty. And if there is moisture in the pitch, then also Kuldeep should be there. Jasprit Bumrah should be number one, alongside Ravindra Jadeja, for control, and who can bat in the top five or six. And then, Kuldeep Yadav. This bowling attack can dismiss any batting lineup in any conditions. Not to forget Mohammed Siraj, who is like a warhorse,' added the legendary Indian cricketer, who retired from international cricket last year mid-way through India's tour to Australia. While Kuldeep played one match in England back in 2018 and went wicketless, he has a fine record against England, taking 21 wickets in six matches at an average of 22.28, with best figures of 5/72. He has not played any Test cricket since the first Test against New Zealand in October 2024. The five-test series will be held from June to August 2025, with matches scheduled at Headingley in Leeds, Edgbaston in Birmingham, Lord's and The Oval in London, and Old Trafford in Manchester. This will be India's first-ever Test series under the captaincy of Shubman Gill after the retirement of batting stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Tests and Ashwin from all international cricket. India's Test squad for England series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav. (ANI)
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
MP Manoj Tiwary to attend 27th edition of 'Fit India Sundays on Cycle' in Delhi on June 15
New Delhi [India] June 14 (ANI): Member of Parliament from North-East Delhi and popular actor-singer Manoj Tiwari will add glitter to the 27th edition of the nationwide 'FIT India Sundays on Cycle' initiative, set to take place on June 15 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. The event is being organised in collaboration with the Physical Education Foundation of India (PEFI), according to a release by SAI Media. The other prominent dignitaries who will be participating in the event in Delhi are PEFI president A.K Bansal, a Dronacharya Awardee former India hockey coach, 1992 Asian Marathon champion Sunita Godara, PEFI national secretary Piyush Jain, Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education and Sports Sciences professor and director (sports) Tribhuvan Ram Narayan and swimming coach at the Sonia Vihar Water Sports Club Society in Delhi Manjeet Shekhawat. The cycling drive will be organised simultaneously across more than 500 locations in India on June 15, including the capitals of all States and Union Territories, SAI Regional Centres, National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs), SAI Training Centres (STCs), Khelo India State Centres of Excellence (KISCEs), and Khelo India centres (KICs), with a probable participation of 15,000-plus citizens across various age groups. Started by Hon'ble Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Mansukh Mandaviya in December 2024, the 'FIT India Sundays on Cycle' movement has been organised in more than 10,000 locations across the country till now with the participation of more than 3.5 lakh individuals. Previously, the cycling event witnessed participation of Indian Army jawans, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Indian Railways and prominent sports stars like Lovlina Borgohain, Sangram Singh, Shanky Singh, Nitu Ghanghas, Saweety Boora, Paris Paralympics medallists Nitesh Kumar, Manisha Ramadass, Rubina Francis and Simran Sharma (para world champion) apart from celebrities like Rahul Bose, Amit Sial, Sharvari Wagh, Madhurima Tuli and Gul Panag, to name a few. The 'Fit India Sundays on Cycle' is organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), in collaboration with the Cycling Federation of India (CFI), My Bikes and MY Bharat. (ANI)
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
T20 Mumbai League: MSC Maratha Royals beat SoBo Mumbai Falcons to clinch trophy
Mumbai (Maharashtra)[India], June 14 (ANI): SoBo Mumbai Falcons finished its batting essay on a high. The bowling unit then stretched the match right till the end. Still, the Falcons unfortunately had to settle with the runners-up trophy, with MSC Maratha Royals winning the T20 Mumbai league's final by six wickets and four balls to spare at the Wankhede Stadium. After being asked to bat first, thanks to Mayuresh Tandel and Harsh Aghav's scintillating unbroken partnership of 85 runs off 49 balls, SoBo Mumbai Falcons put on a respectable total of 157 for four. Chinmay Sutar and Awais Khan rode their luck to steer the Royals home. After being inserted into bat, Falcons had to bat first. The team got off to a sombre start, placed at 60 for three at the halfway stage. Captain Shreyas Iyer's reverse sweep in the 12th over proved costly, as Irfan caught him. In came Harsh Aghav (45*, 28b, 1x4, 4x6) - the find of the tournament - and changed the complexion of the match along with Mayuresh Tandel (50*, 32b, 3x4, 3x6). While the unbroken partnership was of 85 runs off 49 balls, Aghav, who was later adjudged as the Emerging Player of the Tournament, and Tandel plundered 53 runs off the last five overs. The Falcons' spin army had then kept the spinners in check for most of the innings. Akash Parkar - the specialist death over specialist was introduced into the 16th over and bowled two accurate overs. The 67-run partnership between Awais Khan and Mayuresh Tandel was finally broken in the penultimate over, with left-arm spinner Kartik Mishra accounting for both of them. With seven runs required from six balls, veteran allrounder Rohan Raje finished the game off. Brief scores: SoBo Mumbai Falcons 157/4, 20 overs (Mayuresh Tandel 50*, Harsh Aghav 45*; Vaibhav Mali 2/32) vs MSC Maratha Royals 158 /5, 19.2 overs (Chinmay Sutar 53, Awais Khan 38) by six wickets. (ANI)
