COLOMBO: In a commendable display, Bangladesh outplayed Pakistan 2-0 to march into the SAFF U17 Championship final here at the Race Course Ground on Thursday.
Bangladesh took control of the match in the opening four minutes, with Nazmul Huda and Mohammad Rahman piercing the nets respectively to double the lead.
Pakistan was unable to make a comeback as Bangladesh remained dominant throughout the game.
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Despite their efforts to regain momentum, Pakistan were unable to turn the game around. Notably, Bangladesh had also beaten Pakistan in the final of the 2018 edition.
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The second semi-final will be played between India and Nepal.
Pakistan started strong in the championship with dominant victories against the Maldives and Bhutan. However, they faced a defeat at the hands of India 3-2 in a thrilling encounter.
India took a lead in the 31st minute of the game when Dallalmoun Gangte scored, courtesy of Dannny Singh Cutback.
However, Pakistan made a strong comeback with an equaliser just two minutes before half-time.
Yet, India emerged victorious in the last phase of the game and scored decisive goals to secure an emphatic victory.