Consolation as Bangladesh beat already champions India 4-3

Prity celebrates her goal against India. Photo: The Daily Rays

Bangladesh exacted a measure of revenge on their arch-rivals India, albeit after already conceding the title, with a 4-3 win in their last match of the SAFF Under-17 Women’s Championship at the Chamglimithang Stadium in Thimphu on Sunday.

The girls in red and green clinched the topsy-turvy affair with literally the last kick of the game, Sauravi Akanda Prity’s speculative shot spilled by India goalkeeper before bouncing into the net.

Prity had earlier given Bangladesh a 3-1 lead early in the second but India bounced back with a couple of superb goals.

Bangladesh had made a rollicking start to the game when Purnima Marma headed in the opening goal on 23 seconds — arguably the fastest goal in South Asian women’s age-group football.

Anushka Kumari hit back for India in the ninth minute, thanks to some sloppy defensive work from Bangladesh but Alpi restored Bangladesh’s lead in the 34th minute.

Prity then gave Mahbubur Rahman Litu’s charges a 3-1 lead four minutes after restart before India to mount a fightback, only to lose at the death.

India had already secured the title of the four-team competition with a game in hand and with a five-point advantage as they won all their first five games while Bangladesh had lost to India 2-0 in their first encounter and later drew 1-1 against Bhutan.