Just when the match seemed to be heading for a draw, Trishna Rani struck the winning goal for Bangladesh in stoppage time.
Earlier, Bangladesh went into halftime with a lead thanks to goals from Shikha Jahan and Sagarika. However, the momentum shifted after Sagarika was shown a red card in the second half. Taking advantage, Nepal pulled level with two goals, raising hopes of a draw. But in the dying moments, Trishna Rani lifted Bangladesh to victory.
With India absent, Nepal are seen as Bangladesh’s main challengers in the SAFF U-20 Women’s Championship. Their first encounter in the round-robin league lived up to expectations, producing an intense clash at Kings Arena, where Bangladesh edged Nepal 3-2.
With two wins in two games, coach Peter James Butler’s side sit at the top of the table with six points.
Bangladesh had opened the tournament with a 9-1 thrashing of Sri Lanka, thanks to a hat-trick from Sagarika. They will face Bhutan in their third match on Tuesday. However, Sagarika will miss the Bhutan clash due to her direct red card against Nepal.
Bangladesh started the game on the front foot, putting Nepal under early pressure. Nepal, fresh off a 6-1 win over Bhutan, also came out aggressive, hinting at a competitive battle from the start.
In the 11th minute, Bangladesh almost conceded after a messy backpass from Zaynab. Sworna Rani Mondal tried to clear, but the ball deflected off Nepal’s Sukriya Mia and narrowly missed the target.
Two minutes later, Shikha Jahan opened the scoring. Attacking from the left, Sagarika delivered a pass to Munki Akter, who beat multiple defenders and shot. Nepal’s Rokeya Ganga cleared off the line, but an unmarked Shikha converted the rebound.
Shortly after, Zaynab’s long-range effort forced the Nepal goalkeeper out of position. Sagarika also rushed in to shoot, but collided with the keeper. The forward, who had scored a hat-trick against Sri Lanka, needed treatment but returned to the field soon after.
In the 26th minute, Puja Das received a yellow card after fouling Senu Pariyar just outside the box. Anisha Roy’s resulting free kick hit the top of the crossbar.
The lead doubled in the 36th minute. After Shanti Mardi’s cross found its way into the box, Shikha’s two attempts were blocked by Nepal keeper Sujata, but she couldn’t hold the ball. Sagarika, lurking nearby, tapped in the loose ball.
Just before halftime, Nepal’s Mina Deuba got a chance when she broke through the defense. But Sworna leapt brilliantly to tip the shot for a corner, saving her team.
Right after the break, Sagarika had another great opportunity after beating defenders with pace and finding herself one-on-one with the goalkeeper. But her heavy touch let her down, and she couldn’t shoot. In the 52nd minute, Shikha also squandered a golden chance, skying her shot with only the keeper to beat.
In the 55th minute, Sagarika was fouled by Simran. The challenge escalated, with Simran pulling Sagarika’s hair, sparking tensions. Both players were shown red cards, and Bangladesh lost rhythm after going down to ten players.
Soon after, Bangladesh coach made changes, bringing on Trishna Rani and Ruma Akter for Afeeda and Bannya. In the 74th minute, Shikha got another chance, but her shot towards the far post was cleared by Anisha just in time.
In the following minute, Nepal equalized. After a powerful shot by Mina was parried by Sworna, a rebound attempt was about to be cleared by Ruma, but Zaynab fouled her from behind. The referee pointed to the spot, and Anisha Roy converted the penalty to level the match.
Butler responded by bringing in Umhela Marma and Oynta Bala in place of Shanti and Shikha.
In the 86th minute, Nepal scored again to make it 2-2. A low cross from Purnima was skillfully tapped in by Mina, beating Sworna.
In added time, Sworna misjudged a free-kick clearance and dropped the ball. Purnima tried to poke it in, but couldn’t connect. Sworna gathered it on the second attempt, but picked up a knock on her left knee in the process. After treatment, she returned to relieve the Bangladesh bench.
And then, just before the final whistle, Bangladesh found their winner. A perfect cross from the right by Umhela was guided into the net by Trishna. With what seemed to be a draw just moments away, Bangladesh erupted in celebration with a dramatic late win.
