Bangladesh Women’s U-17 Team Defeats India with Injury-Time Goal, Deepens Regret

The Bangladesh U-17 women’s football team may well be regretting their earlier draw against Bhutan. Had they played with the same intensity, they might not have missed out on the SAFF U-17 Women’s Championship title. In their final match on August 31, 2025, Bangladesh defeated the champion Indian team 4-3 at Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan, amplifying their sense of missed opportunity, as a 1-1 draw against Bhutan in their fifth match had already dashed their title hopes.

Despite India having secured the championship, they fielded their strongest lineup. Bangladesh took the lead just 25 seconds into the match when Purnima Marma headed in a long cross from Mamoni Chakma, sparking early celebrations. However, India capitalized on a disorganized Bangladesh defense in the 9th minute, with Anushka Kumari equalizing the score.

Bangladesh regained the lead in the 34th minute when Alpi Akter struck a precise shot past the Indian goalkeeper. In the 48th minute, Bangladesh exploited India’s high defensive line, with Sauravi Akanda scoring a brilliant goal—her sixth in the tournament—making the score 3-1. Despite their two-goal lead, Bangladesh remained wary of their defense. India took advantage, pulling one back in the 65th minute with a long-range shot from Pritika Barman that sailed over the Bangladesh goalkeeper’s head. In the 88th minute, India scored their third, leveling the match. The decisive moment came in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Sauravi Akanda’s shot was initially saved by India’s goalkeeper Munni, but in her attempt to clear the ball, it deflected off a teammate into the net. The referee credited the goal to Sauravi, marking her seventh in the tournament. The loss left Indian players in tears, a sign they did not want their championship-winning campaign to end with a defeat—their first in the tournament. Bangladesh, finishing with 13 points compared to India’s 15, ended the tournament as runners-up. Their earlier 1-1 draw against Bhutan cost them the title, while India secured the championship with a 5-0 win over Nepal in the other match of the day. Since 2017, Bangladesh’s women’s teams have won seven out of nine titles in age-group competitions, but the SAFF U-17 title remains elusive. In 2023, Bangladesh were also runners-up, with an invited Russian team claiming the championship.[](https://thebridge.in/football/saff-u-17-womens-india-bangladesh-live-blog-scores-54408)