After defeating Pakistan, Bangladesh’s coach and captain expressed optimism about performing well in the final.
In the SAFF U-17 Championship semi-finals, India secured the expected victory against Nepal, setting up a repeat of last year’s final clash between Bangladesh and India.
At Colombo’s Racecourse Stadium on Thursday, the defending champions India won the second semi-final 3-0. Bangladesh had defeated Pakistan 2-0 in the first semi-final.
Bangladesh will face India on Saturday, aiming for their first-ever title in this age-group category. Last year, their dreams were shattered by a 2-0 loss to India in the final. This time, Bangladesh coach Golam Rabbani Choton is determined not to let history repeat itself.
“First of all, I am grateful to the Almighty; we have come very close to our target. The boys performed brilliantly in all three matches and worked hard to reach the final. We are still a bit away from our ultimate goal. We ask the nation to pray for us, so that we can achieve our objective in the final,” said Choton.
Captain Nazmul Huda Faisal echoed the coach’s sentiment. Having scored against Pakistan, the forward hopes to see supporters in the stands again for the final.
“It feels amazing. The team has played really well from the start to reach the final. I want to thank everyone in the team and all the supporters for backing me. Since the first match, the way Bangladesh fans have supported us has been incredible. Now that we are in the final, I hope they will continue to support us so that we can perform at our best,” Faisal said.
