Bangladesh face India in group decider

Reigning runners-up Bangladesh are all set to renew their rivalry with holders India in the SAFF U-20 Championship, as the two neighbours face off in the final Group B match at the National Stadium in Male, Maldives today. The match kicks off at 4:45pm Bangladesh time.

Both teams have already secured their semifinal berths with a game in hand. Former champions Bangladesh defeated Pakistan 2-0, while India beat the same opposition 3-0. As a result, today’s clash has turned into a group decider, with the winners set to face Group A champions Nepal or runners-up Sri Lanka or Bhutan on April 1.

Bangladesh, who were bested by India in three finals, will need a victory to finish top of the group.

The task, however, appears challenging for the charges of Mark Cox. The team attended Thursday’s India-Pakistan match, where they gathered valuable insights into their formidable opponents.

“We got two days to train after the Pakistan match, and we also watched the India-Pakistan game from the gallery. We’ve prepared accordingly, and our preparation has been really good,” said Samuel Raksam, who came off the bench in the latter stages against Pakistan, in a video message sent by the Bangladesh Football Federation.

“After the match against Pakistan, we analysed our strengths and weaknesses. Watching the India-Pakistan match also helped us understand how to play against India,” said Ashikur Rahman in another video clip.

Bangladesh will be hoping to deliver another strong performance in the group stage before heading into the semifinals, banking on the form of US-based forward Ronan Sullivan, who struck a brace against Pakistan.