Bangladesh staged a tremendous fightback to beat regional powerhouse India 4-3 in the opening match of the SAFF U-18 Championship in Thimphu, Bhutan today.

The boys in red and green looked dead and buried at the end of the first half, having conceded three goals.

But they staged an incredible fight-back, thanks to a brace each from striker Jafar Iqbal and defender Rahmat Mia to ensure all three points from the first match of this round-robin format tournament involving five South Asian teams.

This is Bangladesh’s second age-group level victory over the Indians, and the first one since the under-16 team defeated their Indian counterparts to win the SAFF U-16 Championship title in Sylhet three years ago.