Host Bangladesh to play Himalayan nation Nepal in the final of the four-nation SAFF U-20 Women's Championship '2023 on Thursday (February 9).
The title-deciding match between two arch-rivals will kick-off at 6 pm (Bangladesh time) at the floodlight Bir Sherestha Shaheed Shipahi Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur in the capital.
This was 3rd final match between two teams in the Senior and Age Group SAFF Women's Championships in last six months.
Bangladesh women's made a history by clinching their first-ever SAFF Women's (Senior) Championship title beating hosts Nepal by 3-1 goals in the final in Kathmandu in last September, but Bangladesh Women's team finished runners-up in the last SAFF U-15 Women's Championship losing to Nepal in the final on home soil at the end of the last year.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday ahead of the Thursday's final, Bangladesh coach Golam Rabbani Choton said, Nepal is a very strong team, they reached the final beating India, we are also a good side, so it will be a good and contesting final, the team who will utilize the chances they will be the winner".
On completion of league basis matches of the ongoing SAFF Youth Women's meet, Bangladesh women's team clinched top slot in the four-nation tournament to qualify for final as the only unbeaten team securing seven points, Nepal finished runners-up to reach the final collecting six points, favourite India eliminated from the meet with four points while Bhutan completed their engagements with empty hand.
Bangladesh booked a set for the final beating Nepal 3-1, drew goalless with India and outplaying all-losers Bhutan by 5-0 goal in the league basis matches.
Nepal moved into the final defeating Bhutan 4-0 and beat might India 3-1 after conceding 1-3 defeat against hosts Bangladesh
India, which rout Bhutan by 12-0 goal in the tournament opener, Tuesday eliminated the from meet despite leading 1-0 goal in the first half
Nepal, which entered to the field Tuesday afternoon in a must-win situation to reach the final, went down in the race initially by 0-1 goal in the middle of the first half, but they smartly bounced back in the match in the 2nd half scoring three goals in a row to achieve their challenging target silencing the high flying India.
With this well merited win, Nepal smartly qualified for the final as the first team securing six points from all three group matches after suffering 1-3 goals defeat against hosts Bangladesh, but they stayed in the race beating Bhutan by 4-0 goals in the 2nd match.