SAFF U-16 Women’s Championship 2024: Bangladesh emerged champions beating India in penalties

Bangladesh beat India 3-2 in penalties in the final to win the SAFF Under-16 Women’s Championship at the ANFA Complex in Lalitpur on Sunday.
Goalkeeper Yearzan Begum was the saviour as she stopped as many as three shots in the shootout to hand Bangladesh their first title since 2017.
The sides previously met in a SAFF tournament final just a month ago in Dhaka where the U-19 trophy was shared after a dramatic encounter.
It was India who had the early advantage in Sunday’s final as Anushka Kumari scored in the fourth minute for them.
Bangladesh pressed hard for an equaliser in the first half but the Indian defenders held firm. Nerves were evident in Bangladesh players’ body language as well.
They had to wait for the much-awaited goal till the 71st minute. Mariam Binte Hanna brought Bangladesh right back into the game with a successful header from a set-piece to make the scoreline 1-1.
The goal helped Bangladesh take the game to a tiebreaker where Yearzan emerged as the star of the match.
Surovi Akand Prity and Alpi Akter, two of Bangladesh’s key players, couldn’t find the net during the shootout but Yearzan’s heroics meant their errors did not prove to be decisive in the end.
India subbed their regular goalkeeper and had Suruj Kumari for the shootout. She did admirably well but Yearzan bettered her effort to help Bangladesh to the title.
Bangladesh had won all their matches leading up to the final which included a 3-1 win over eventual runner-ups India.