Thimphu [Bhutan], September 29 (ANI): The Indian men’s U17 team’s journey to Bhutan has come full circle, not once, but twice. The Blue Colts will face Bangladesh in the final of the 2024 SAFF U17 Championship at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan, on Monday at 17:30 IST.
India began their campaign nine days ago with a last-minute 1-0 victory over Bangladesh in the group stage. This mirrors last year’s events, where the India U16 team defeated their eastern neighbours 1-0 in the opening match and later 2-0 in the final. Ishfaq Ahmed and his boys will be hoping for a similar outcome on Monday as they look to defend their title.
Historically, India and Bangladesh have met four times in the finals of SAFF men’s age-group tournaments, with India triumphing on three occasions (U18 in 2019, U20 in 2022, and U16 in 2023) and Bangladesh securing a solitary win (U16 in 2015).
“We know Bangladesh are a good side. They did well to come from behind in the semi-final. Despite some hiccups, they’ve been more consistent than the other teams. Our win against them is in the past. A final is a different game,” said Ahmed at the pre-match press conference, as quoted by the AIFF official website.
“There’s always pressure on India in every SAFF tournament as favourites. We have to keep delivering. Consistency is key if we want to perform well. I stress that to my boys. We’re here to replicate last year’s success,” the former India international added.
India advanced to the final with a 4-2 victory over Nepal in a thrilling semi-final on Saturday, which saw four goals scored in the last 10 minutes. Vishal Yadav’s second-half brace gave India the advantage, but Nepal fought back, narrowing the Blue Colts’ lead. Ultimately, goals from substitutes Ningthoukhongjam Rishi Singh and Hemneichung Lunkim secured India’s win.
“It got a bit tense towards the end. We should’ve killed the game earlier. But that’s football; sometimes you miss chances, and the opposition scores from their first opportunity. I’m glad we regained control and managed to score the fourth goal,” Ahmed reflected.
India’s proficiency with set-pieces has been a key factor in their success, having netted four goals from dead-ball situations. Ahmed expressed his satisfaction with this aspect of their play.
“We’ve put a lot of work into set-pieces. We even scored from a corner against Indonesia. We have a physical presence, and we try to use that to our advantage. I’m pleased with how the boys have been performing, whether from set-pieces or crosses,” he said.
In the other semi-final, Bangladesh displayed remarkable resilience, coming from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Pakistan, thanks to Md Manik’s goals in the 74th and 94th minutes. They then successfully converted all eight of their penalties to complete a memorable comeback and reach the final.
“I’m proud of my boys for their performance. That has given us great confidence. India are the defending champions and, without question, the favourites. They have an edge in terms of technical ability and decision-making. We did well against India in the first match but conceded in injury time. We need to be at our best, and I believe we have the ability. Finals are for winning titles, and we’re not here just to participate–we want the trophy,” said Bangladesh head coach Saiful Bari Titu. (ANI)
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