Thimphu: Bangladesh lost valuable points as they were forced to play a 1-1 draw by host Bhutan in the crucial match of the four-nation SAFF U-17 Women’s Championship held at Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Bangladesh’s dream of becoming the champion of this tournament is almost over after the draw. After five matches, Bangladesh has ten points, while India is at the top with twelve points from four matches. If India manages to beat Nepal in the second match of the day, their points will be fifteen, assuring them of the title with one match in hand. Consequently, the last match between Bangladesh and India will merely be a formality.
Bangladesh’s last match against India is scheduled for Sunday (Aug 31) at the same venue. The early breakthrough for Bangladesh came in the 6th minute when Purnia Marma scored with a right-footed shot from the top of the D-Box, leaving the Bhutanese custodian with no chance. Chorten Zangmo then restored parity for Bhutan in the 45+1st minute with a solo effort, taking a pass from midfield and executing a goal with a placing shot from the danger zone.
Earlier, Bangladesh made a winning start in the tournament by beating host Bhutan 3-1, but they lost to India by 2-0. The team returned to a winning streak by defeating Nepal 3-0 and again 4-1 in the return match. Conversely, Bhutan has lost all their four matches so far, suffering defeats of 3-1 to Bangladesh, 1-2 to Nepal, 8-0 to India, and 5-0 to India, thus already being eliminated from the competition race.