SAFF U-19 Final: Holders Bangladesh to face India on Sunday

SAFF U-19 football

Dhaka, 17 May — Defending champions Bangladesh will play their neighbouring giants India in the grand final of the six-nation South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Men's U-19 Championship 2025 on Sunday.

The title-deciding match of this regional youth football tournament between two unbeaten teams will kick off at 7:30 pm Bangladesh time at the Golden Jubilee Stadium, Yupia, in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.

Holders Bangladesh reached the final as an unbeaten team, eliminating Himalayan nation Nepal 2-1 in the first semi-final, while hosts India qualified for the final with an all-win record, defeating the Maldives 3-0 in the second semi-final — both matches played on Friday.

Earlier, Bangladesh emerged as Group A champions to reach the semi-finals, remaining unbeaten with four points from two group matches, beating Bhutan 3-0 after drawing 2-2 with the Maldives.

On the other hand, India topped Group B with a perfect record, securing six points by defeating Sri Lanka 8-0 and Nepal 4-0 in the group matches.

Ahead of Sunday’s final, the head coach and captain of the Bangladesh team addressed a official press conference at the match venue on Saturday afternoon.

Bangladesh head coach Golam Robbani Choton said, "Our boys have played good football in all the matches so far. They’ve learnt a lot and are now quite confident in their abilities. We are ready for the final."

Bangladesh captain Nazmul Huda Faysal added, "There’s always a certain level of excitement surrounding any final. It’s the last match of the tournament, and both teams want to win it. We’ve come here to achieve our objective, which is to bring the trophy back home."

Addressing the press conference, Indian head coach Bibiano Fernandes said, "We will give our best on the pitch and make sure that we don’t leave anything behind."

He added, "I promise that it will be a good game, and we will entertain the crowd just as we have in the last three matches."

After the press conference, the Bangladesh team conducted their final training session on Saturday afternoon at the NERIST ground, Nirjuli, the same venue as their previous practice sessions.

The Bangladesh team is fully focused and prepared for tomorrow’s grand final, and they have appealed to supporters to cheer for the boys in red and green to bring the title home. - UNB