SAFF U19 C'ship: India aim to entertain crowd in summit clash against Bangladesh

Yupia (Arunachal Pradesh), May 17 (IANS) Aiming to win their record-extending 10th SAFF age-group men's tournament, India will take on Bangladesh in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) U19 Championship 2025 final on Sunday at the Golden Jubilee Stadium, and head coach Bibiano Fernandes hopes his team can entertain the crowds.

India have won the U15, U16, and U17 tournaments twice each, and the U18, U19, and U20 once each. Fernandes has won three of them and is looking for his fourth on Sunday. Bangladesh are familiar opponent for the Blue Colts.

The two nations have met in four SAFF men's age-group finals, and India have won all four, including last year's SAFF U17 final by 2-0, with goals from Mohammed Arbash and Mohammed Kaif, both of whom are part of the current U19 squad.

India have showcased utter dominance in front of a roaring Arunachal Pradesh crowd so far, winning 8-0 and 4-0 against Sri Lanka and Nepal, respectively, in the group stage, and 3-0 against the Maldives in the semifinal on Friday.

Fernandes and captain Singamayum Shami had plenty of praise for the local crowd who have come in increasing numbers in every Indian match, especially during the semi-final under pouring rain.

"Yesterday, we saw so many fans under such heavy rain, and nobody moved out of the stands. They were still there supporting till the end of the game, and that was amazing. I would like to call the fans to come back tomorrow as well. We will give our best on the pitch and make sure that we don't leave anything behind. I promise that it will be a good game and we will entertain the crowd the same way we have entertained them in the last three games," said Fernandes.

Midfielder Shami, who was named the player of the match against the Maldives, said, "The Arunachal people love football so much. We're very happy to see so many people coming and supporting us. As players, we feel proud to play in front of them. We're ready for the final and will give our best tomorrow."

Bangladesh beat Nepal 2-1 in the semifinal. After a cagey opening 74 minutes, Ashikur Rahman broke the deadlock with a header from a corner before captain Nazmul Huda Faysal scored the second. Nepal halved the deficit, but Bangladesh saw off the victory.

"We didn't play Bangladesh in the tournament, but have seen them play and know how good they are. They have shown good character in the tournament, especially in the semi-finals, beating Nepal. We respect that, and we will prepare and get ourselves ready and make sure we give our best efforts in the finals," said Fernandes.

Bangladesh head coach Golam Robbani Choton said, "Our boys have played good football in all the matches so far, they’ve learnt a lot, and now are quite confident in their abilities. We are ready for the final."

Bangladesh captain Faysal said, "There’s always a certain level of excitement surrounding any final. It’s the last match of the tournament, and both teams want to win it. We’ve come here to fulfil our objective, which is to take the trophy back home.

"We have full confidence in each of our players right from the first match to the semi-finals, and that will continue to the final as well. We’ve come here to achieve good things. Since we’re facing India in the final, you may say it’s a bit of a different proposition. But we have a lot of respect for India, they are a good side. However, we are here to achieve our goals, and we will give it 100 per cent to achieve it," he said.

The 15-year-old also expressed his appreciation for APFA, AIFF, and SAFF for providing a good platform for young football players in South Asia at the SAFF U19 Championship, which is also the first international football tournament to be hosted in Arunachal Pradesh.

"I want to convey my wholehearted gratitude to the APFA, AIFF, and SAFF for bringing us to a new city and new environment. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed ourselves here. From the hotels to the grounds have been great, and the protocols have been very helpful," said Faysal.

--IANS

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