Girls bring another South Asian crown

As the Bangladesh Under-20 Women’s National Team breezed past Nepal 3-0 in the final of the SAFF U20 Women’s Championship 2023 at the Bir Shrestha Shaheed Shipahi Mustafa Kamal Stadium in Dhaka, it ensured that the Bangladesh girls had swept home yet another South Asian crown, following their success at other age levels and senior football.

This win meant that Bangladesh are currently the South Asian Champions of Women’s U19, U20, and Senior football, proving themselves to be serial winners.

Shahada Akter Ripa, who was the player of the tournament in December 2021’s SAFF U19 Women’s Championship held at the same venue, was the star of the show in the final as she scored the first goal and then set up the third for Unnoti Khatun.In between, skipper Shamsunnahar Jr scored her fifth goal of the tournament.

Bangladesh also took away every award of the tournament, except for the fair play one which went to Bhutan. Rupna Chakma was named the best goalkeeper of the tournament, while Shamsunnahar Jr took away the highest goal-scorer and best player awards.

From the onset of the match, Golam Rabbani Choton’s girls were on the front foot and looked to score as early as possible. Their confidence could have possibly stemmed from their match against Nepal in the league stage, where they won 3-1.

However, despite creating chances, Bangladesh failed to find the Nepalese net as Aklima Khatun missed an open net before Eity Khatun headed wide from a corner.

Bangladesh came close in the 38th minute when Ripa’s right-footed shot from outside the box was tipped away by Nepal’s goalkeeper Kabita B K, with the game seemingly entering half-time in a stalemate.

Ripa, though, had her eyes set as she produced almost an action replay of that shot four minutes later, only to find the net this time.

The youngster, nicknamed ‘Messi’ in her native Cox’s Bazar, with her right foot, produced a perfect curling effort that swerved away from the Nepalese goalkeeper, who was off her line and could only helplessly watch the ball ripple the net.

One brings two and four minutes later, in the first minute of stoppage time, a long ball from the Bangladesh defence rattled the Nepal defenders, allowing Aklima to put skipper Shamsunnahar Jr through on goal.

One-on-one with the goalkeeper, the eventual top-scorer of the tournament did not flinch as she coolly poked it past Kabita to make it 2-0.

In the second half, Bangladesh looked for a more conservative approach as they focused on keeping the ball more.

Still, they kept creating chances but could not completely confirm the win with a third goal until the 87th minute, when Shamsunnahar Jr was fouled outside the box.

Sapna Rani dummied over the ball, and Ripa sent in a brilliant whipping cross to the far post, where Unnoti was waiting.

As the ball fell to her feet, she just tapped it in to ensure that the trophy brought to Dhaka was kept here.

Bangladesh had the opportunity to increase their lead in stoppage time but Shamsunnahar Jr’s powerful header from a corner went wide before she scored but was ruled out due to offside.

Yet, it was another feather in the crown of the girls, who keep bringing home success, and for whom the celebration was jubilant as seen at full-time and afterwards.