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Four first-half goals handed Bangladesh a relatively comfortable 4-2 win over Nepal in the SAFF U-18 Women’s Championship at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur, on Thursday, March 17.
After this result, Bangladesh climb to second on the table behind India, with both the teams having three points apiece to their name. India are currently ahead by dint of having a greater goal difference, after defeating Nepal 7-0 in the previous game.
Bangladesh got off to a flying start, earning a corner with just about 20 seconds on the clock. Afeida Khandaker positioned herself perfectly to nod the in-swinging corner home, to give her side an early lead.
The lead lasted about half-an-hour, as midfielder Dipa Shahi unleashed a ferocious shot from long range, that nestled into the top corner. It took Bangladesh three minutes to reclaim their lead, as Afeida turned provider this time, intercepting a long kick by the Nepal keeper, and feeding it to Aklima Khatun, who raced past her marker and slotted it home.
Eity Khatun doubled the lead a minute later as she latched on to a lose ball at the edge of the Nepal penalty area and chipped it over the defence and the keeper, to place it into the top corner.
With just minutes left for the half-time whistle, Shahada Akter Ripa made the most of confusion in the Nepal ranks to slip between the lines and poke the ball between a melee of legs to make it 4-1 in Bangladesh’s favour.
Nepal mounted the pressure in the second half, in an attempt to get back into the match, but the Bangladesh defence managed to thwart most attempts. It was only in the last minute of the match that a long clearance hooved up-field found its way to Nepal striker Amisha Karki, who ran in behind the Bangladesh defence and slipped the ball past the keeper to pull one goal back. However, it was too little too late, as the referee soon blew the final whistle.
After this result, both India and Bangladesh occupy the top two spots on the table with three points apiece, and face each other in the next match, which kicks off at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur on Saturday, March 19 at 7pm IST.
