History made - Bangladesh girls win maiden Saff football championship

History was made as the Saff Women's Championship was won by Bangladesh for the first time on Monday at the Dasarath Rangasala in Kathmandu after a thrilling 3-1 victory over Nepal.

After substitute striker Shamsunnahar Jr. gave Bangladesh an early lead, Krishna Rani Sarkar scored twice to put Bangladesh ahead and win the South Asian championship.

Hosts Nepal, who were playing in their fifth competition final gave a strong fight in the final.

After securing a 2-0 lead in the first half on a soggy field in front of a large crowd, Bangladesh came under intense pressure from their opponents. 
The hosts eventually managed to get a goal back in the 72nd minute with a strong diagonal shot. 

President, PM congratulate Bangladesh women's team on SAFF championship

However, Krishna, who put Bangladesh 2-0 up in the 42nd minute of the game after Shamsunnahar Jr. scored in the first, secured Bangladesh's victory. 
In the 77th minute, it was another deft finish from her as she netted home past the Nepal goalkeeper after receiving a brilliant through-ball from Monika Chakma.

As a result, Bangladesh won the Saff Championship for the first time in the sixth edition, ending India's five-year dominance. The runners-up medal was presented to the hosts Nepal for the fifth time.

Sabina Khatun, the captain of Bangladesh, finished the competition as the highest scorer with eight goals. After scoring 23 goals throughout the competition, Golam Rabbani Choton's team's sole blemish was the goal they conceded in the final.

Although Bangladesh had previously won age-level matches in women's South Asian football, this was the first time they had done it at the senior level, and it was also the first time they had defeated India and Nepal, the top two teams in the area.

Bangladesh had previously advanced to the final in 2016, but India ultimately defeated them 3-1.