After huge turmoil with the decision of deciding the match winners by toss, organisers finally declared Bangladesh and India as joint champions in the SAFF Under-19 Football Championship 2024.
It was very much unexpected and was very funny that the match commission does not know the tournament bylaws or gave his decision overlooking the bylaws.
Due to an ignorance or carelessness of a responsible person like a match commissioner impaired the beauty of a thrilling final and damaged the tournament’s image.
Though, finally organisers announced Bangladesh and India as joint champions to avoid the uproars but that decision didn’t also go with the bylaws.
Meanwhile, after an exciting 1-1 draw of the 90-minutes game and pulsating 22 penalty shoots were scored evenly from both sides and the toss drama, Bangladesh Under-19 and their Indian counterparts shared the honour of lifting the SAFF Under-19 Women’s Football title 2024.
Held at the Bir Srehtha Mostafa Kamal Stadium on Thursday, Indian team scored an early goal with Sibani Devi striking on eight minute and the visitors kept the lead up to 90 minutes scheduled time but Bangladesh striker Sagorika scored a sensational goal at the dying minute to make it 1-1.
Then in the penalty shoot-out both the sides converted all their 11 spot kicks and the match again locked on 11-11.
But all of a sudden the match commissioner from Nepal took the decision to choose the winners through toss and India won the coin favoure to win the trophy.
But Bangladesh team strongly protested against the decision referring to the tournament’s bylaws. The match commissioner changed the decision agreeing he was wrong in accordance with the bylaws. The Nepalese decided to continue the penalty spot (sudden death shots) following the bylaws. But this time India team protested against the revised verdict.
Then the organisers asked the Indian team to follow the revised decision within 30 minutes, otherwise Bangladesh would be announced as the champions.
But the Indian sides did not pay any attention to the decision and the organisers finally announced both teams as the champions.
However, the final was started with high intensity with both the sides fighting almost evenly and India drew the first blood with taking the lead in the eighth minute through Sibani Devi.
Indian sides when leading the match up to 90 minutes and were just waiting to celebrate, Bangladesh striker Sagorika stunned all scoring the equaliser in the fourth minute of four minutes injury period and the match headed to penalty shoot-out.