Bangladesh sealed their berth in the semi-finals of the inaugural SAFF Under-19 Championship with a game in hand by defeating Bhutan 2-0 at the All Nepal Football Association Complex ground in Kathmandu on Saturday. Rohit Sarker and Mannaf Rabby scored one goal apiece for the winners. Bangladesh will now face hosts Nepal in their final group game on Monday for the battle of Group-A champions. In the group’s first match Nepal defeated Bhutan by 3-1.
Two emerging strikers, Mohammad Ibrahim and Mannaf Rabby, were active on most of Bangladesh’s attacks.
Though Bangladesh took control of the game from the beginning they had to wait till the 42ndminute to open their account.
After Ibrahim and Rabby wasted a series of opportunities, Rohit Sarker, who acted was the lone striker for Bangladesh, put the winners ahead just three minutes before the break.
Rohit, a BKSP student, unleashed a powerful volley home from just outside the box off Ibrahim’s long cross that was headed down by Mannaf Rabby.
Mannaf doubled the margin just two minutes later. After failing to score from two easy chances, he rectified his mistakes with a brilliant solo effort to give Bangladesh their second goal of the evening.
Bhutan keeper came out of the box to clear a long ball but Mannaf robbed the ball from him before calmly prodding the ball between the legs of a Bhutan defender.
Bangladesh could have added two more goals to their tally but Ibrahim failed to finish on both occasions.
In the 65th minute, Ibrahim’s flick form a hand-shaking distance came off the Bhutan goalkeeper’s body after Shahriar Rubby provided him a square pass from the right.
The Mohammedan winger wasted another great chance in the 71st minute to extend the lead when he failed to meet a cross of Mannaf, only two yards away from an empty net.
-With New Age input
