Bangladesh marched into the final of the SAFF U-17 Championship with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Pakistan in the first semifinal at the Racecourse International Stadium in Colombo today.
Captain Nazmul Huda Faisal and Opu Rahman struck in quick succession inside the opening four minutes to seal Bangladesh's third straight berth in the regional youth championship final, eliminating Pakistan in the semifinals for the third consecutive edition.
Two-time champions Bangladesh will face the winners of the other semifinal between India and Nepal, scheduled for later this evening, in the title decider on September 27.
Golam Rabbani Choton's charges, who had registered two big wins in the group stage without conceding a goal, carried their momentum into the semifinal. Their early strikes left Pakistan rattled, and despite showing flashes of pace and individual skill, the men in green failed to recover against a well-organised Bangladeshi side that maintained their defensive solidity to preserve a perfect clean-sheet record in the tournament.
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