Sagarika's late strike sends Bangladesh into Women's SAFF final
Goals from Rituparna Chakma and Sagarika secured a 2-1 victory over Nepal, keeping Bangladesh on course to defend their SAFF Championship title.
Sagarika scored deep into stoppage time as Bangladesh beat Nepal 2-1 in the Women's SAFF Championship semi-final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa today, booking their place in the final and moving one step closer to retaining the regional crown.
Super-sub Sagarika struck the decisive blow in the 84th minute to cap off a dramatic comeback. Latching onto a precise pass from Tohura Khatun, the forward deftly poked the ball past two trailing Nepali defenders and into the back of the net to seal the victory.
The high-stakes encounter began with defending champions Bangladesh under heavy pressure as Nepal dominated early possession.
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The breakthrough came in the 23rd minute when Nepal's Gita Rana flicked home a sharp corner from Dipa Shahi to hand her side an early advantage.
Nepal nearly doubled their lead in the 36th minute, but goalkeeper Mile Akter managed a crucial deflection to push Priti Rai's long-range effort onto the woodwork.
Bangladesh found their lifeline deep into first-half stoppage time through a spectacular direct corner-kick from Ritu Porna Chakma.
The midfielder curled an Olympic goal straight into the net from the corner flag to equalise just before the interval, dramatically shifting the momentum in Bangladesh's favour.
The second half developed into a physical, end-to-end contest. Nepal's Rekha Poudel struck the post shortly after the restart, while Mile produced several important saves to keep Bangladesh level.
At the other end, Nepal goalkeeper Anjana Rana Magar made a brilliant diving stop in the 78th minute to deny Sagarika and preserve parity.
However, the Bangladesh forward made amends six minutes later. After receiving Tohura's through ball, Sagarika kept her composure and slotted home the winner, sparking celebrations on the Bangladesh bench.
The victory extended Bangladesh's dominance over Nepal in regional football. The defending champions had beaten Nepal in the previous two SAFF Women's Championship finals and once again proved too strong for their familiar rivals.
Bangladesh will now face the winner of the second semifinal in the final as they seek a third successive SAFF Women's Championship title.
