Bangladesh trounce Bhutan

Defending champions Bangladesh emerged group champions to move into the semifinals of the SAFF U-15 Championship with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Bhutan in the last match of Group A at the ANFA Complex ground in Nepal today.

Faisal Ahmed, who slotted a hattrick against Sri Lanka in the tournament opener, put Bangladesh ahead in the 25th minute with a spectacular drive before Miraj Mollah struck a brace in the second half to ensure a comfortable victory. Bangladesh senior team had previously been sent packing by Bhutan in last year’s 3-1 aggregate win in Asia Cup play-off qualifier.

Both Bangladesh and Bhutan came into the match having already confirmed their semifinal berths via wins over Sri Lanka. The tie was crucial for Bangladesh, who were trailing by goal difference against Bhutan and needed an outright win to emerge as group champions. They did it convincingly by dominating throughout the match except for the first 10 minutes.

Bangladesh will now face Friday’s first semifinal against Group B runners-up -- either India or hosts Nepal, who are scheduled to face off in tomorrow’s final match of Group B.