Bangladesh beat India to secure final berth

Alpi Akter, Sauravi Akanda Prity and Arpita Biswas scored a goal apiece as Bangladesh beat India 3-1 in a SAFF U-16 Women's Championship fixture in Kathmandu today to confirm a place in the final.

Billed as a dress rehearsal for the final on March 10, Bangladesh took the lead in this round-robin match through Alpi's goal in the ninth minute – her looping attempt slipping through the grasp of the India goalkeeper.

India hit back 10 minutes after restart through a similar kind of goal but Bangladesh regained the lead as Prity, who scored both goals in Bangladesh's 2-0 win over Nepal in their first match on Saturday, scored in the 78th minute with a placing shot from a counter-attack.

Skipper Arpita then wrapped up the victory, nodding home a corner kick in the 89th minute.

Bangladesh will play Bhutan in their last round-robin match on Friday before squaring off against either India or Nepal in the final.