Having lifted the trophy of the SAFF U-20 Championship in Nepal today, Bangladesh players and coach dedicated the achievement to the martyrs of the student-led anti-discrimination movement during July and August and also the flood-affected victims in the country.

In an enthralling final at the ANFA complex in Lalitpur, the boys in Red and Green beat Nepal 4-1 to clinch their maiden trophy in the regional youth championship in their sixth attempt, having finished as runners-up thrice before this edition.

Forward Mirajul Islam struck twice, and Rabby Hossain Rahul and Piash Ahmed Nova netted one goal each, while Samir Tamang managed to reduce the deficit for two-time champions Nepal.

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Magical Mirajul helps Bangladesh to maiden SAFF U-20 title

Before the trophy-giving ceremony, coach Maruful Haque, along with players Mirajul and Rahul, shared their reactions with the broadcaster and dedicated the trophy to the martyrs, whose sacrifices led to the ousting of the Awami League government on 5 August.

"I would like to dedicate this trophy and championship to the heroes who sacrificed their lives for a new Bangladesh," said head coach Maruful, adding that this triumph will help Bangladesh re-bond in the coming days.

"Our plan was to start slowly because we only had one day of rest compared to Nepal's two days, but what I observed in the first half was that Nepal were not playing their natural game, so I asked my boys to play their normal game [to win the trophy]," said Maruful.

Forward Rahul said, "We want to dedicate this trophy to the martyrs of July and August, as well as to the flood-affected people of the country, because we played for them to win the trophy. I think they will be happy with this triumph."

The Bashundhara Kings forward added, "We lost to Nepal 2-1 in the group-stage match, so our target was to win the final no matter what... and the spontaneous presence of the spectators also helped us play good football."

Forward Mirajul, the top scorer of the tournament and adjudged its most valuable player, said, "To be honest, our target was to reach the final, but later we played for our country as well as the flood-affected people, rather than just for ourselves. I think this triumph will advance our country's football in the future."

Mirajul Islam. Photo: BFF

Mirajul opined that Nepal played well in the final, but luck was not on their side.