Under-17s start SAFF campaign against Nepal

Bangladesh's bid to regain the title of the regional youth championship begins today in Sri Lanka, where the men in red and green will face Nepal in their opening group match of the SAFF Under-17 Championship in Colombo, with the match kicking off at 7:30 pm (Bangladesh time).

Since their triumph in the U-15 youth championship in 2018, two-time champions Bangladesh have remained trophyless despite reaching the finals of both the U-16 and U-17 championships in 2023 and 2024. As a result, the game's local governing body, particularly the development committee, has placed great emphasis on the team in their quest to reclaim the title and also on qualifying for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup.

Under Golam Rabbani Choton, the team underwent an intense seven-week preparation period at the Shams Ul Huda Football Academy in Jashore before departing for Sri Lanka five days prior to the competition's start. The squad is strengthened by the inclusion of five players from the U-19 team, as well as experienced players from BKSP.

"After seven weeks of hard preparation, the players are fully ready to play against Nepal with high motivation," head coach Choton said in a video message shared by BFF yesterday.

Their opponents Nepal also began their campaign strongly, securing a 2-0 victory over Sri Lanka on the opening day of the tournament on Monday.

"We have watched Nepal play against Sri Lanka. They are a strong side with a few talented players," Choton noted. "However, I believe we can achieve our target easily if the boys work hard on the pitch with confidence and discipline."

In previous youth tournaments, Nepal have had a slight edge over Bangladesh, beating them three times, losing twice, and drawing once in six meetings. Therefore, this encounter will not be an easy task for Bangladesh, a fact well recognised by captain Nazmul Huda Faisal.

"Nepal are always strong opponents but we are ready and committed to giving our 100 percent," said Faisal, who recently captained the Bangladesh U-19 side in the SAFF competition.