Bangladesh emerged champions of South Asia’s Under-20 football for the second time, defeating India 4-3 in a gripping penalty shootout in a tense final in Male. The shootout swung on moments of nerve and precision as goalkeeper Ismail Hossain Mahin set the tone early, diving to deny Rishi Singh and handing Bangladesh the advantage. That edge nearly slipped when Samuel Raksam’s fourth kick rattled the crossbar, moments after India goalkeeper Suraj Singh went down injured, allowing India to level at 3-3. Across age-group tournaments (U18, 19, 20), India had won four titles, Nepal two, and Bangladesh two, following their first win in 2024. This marked Bangladesh’s first final victory over India after losing previous finals in 2019 (U18), 2022 (U20), and 2025 (U19).

Source: bd News24 April 03, 2026 18:24 UTC