U-20 Women’s SAFF Championship: Bangladesh thrash Sri Lanka 9-1

Bangladesh made a flying start to their title campaign in the U-20 Women’s SAFF Championship with a dominant 9-1 victory over Sri Lanka. The match, held on Friday at the Bashundhara Kings Arena, saw a spectacular performance from the home side led by Swapna and Sagarika.

From the very beginning, Bangladesh took control of the match with aggressive play. In just the 2nd minute, Swapna Rani put Bangladesh ahead with a brilliant goal from a free-kick. Two minutes later, Munki Akter doubled the lead with a stunning strike from the left wing. Relentless attacks from Bangladesh completely overwhelmed Sri Lanka’s defense.

Sagarika added another goal before halftime, giving Bangladesh a comfortable 3-0 lead at the break. In the second half, the attacking force of Bangladesh turned even more ruthless. Goals from Munki, Shikha, Sagarika, Rupa, and Shanti Mardi extended the scoreline to a crushing 9-1.

Sagarika netted a hat-trick, while Munki scored a brace. The remaining goals came from Shikha, Rupa, Shanti, and Swapna. Sri Lanka managed to score a consolation goal in the dying minutes, which was still celebrated by their dugout, happy to find something positive despite conceding eight goals earlier.

For Bangladesh, it was a confident and emphatic start to their championship journey, signaling strong intent for the title.