Substitutes take Bangladesh into final

Saiful Bari Titu made some inspired substitutions as Bangladesh fought back from two goals down to beat Pakistan 8-7 on penalties in the semfinals of the SAFF U-17 Championship in Thimphu on Saturday, setting up a final clash against defending champions India.

The goal-shy Bangladesh team, who were lucky to go through to the last-four battle with only a point and having scored a single goal in two matches, wasted a handful of chances to take the game by the scruff of the neck. They had to pay the price, too, going two goals down after the hour-mark, with the first goal conceded in the 32nd minute when Shahab Ahmed headed home Subhan Karim's corner. The lead was doubled right after the hour mark as Abdul Rehman dispatched from the spot after a through-ball had hit defender Siam Omit's right hand inside the Bangladesh box.

Desperate for a comeback, Titu made a number of substitutions, bringing on Mohammad Manik first and then Mithu Chowdhury and Akash Ahmed in a double-change.

Manik reduced the arrears in the 74th minute, turning in a corner from Murshed Ali before taking the game into penalties with a placing shot on a cut-back from Mithu Chowdhury in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Both teams changed their goalkeepers for the decisive spot-kicks as Alif Rahman Imtiage stood between the sticks for Bangladesh, replacing regular goalkeeper Nahidul Islam.

It proved to be a long and nerve-wracking ordeal for both teams as the first seven shots from each side were successful. However, Alif made a brilliant save against Pakistan's Abdul Ghani before Kamal Merdha converted Bangladesh's eighth attempt to take Titu's charges to the final.

The final, to be played on Monday, will be a rematch of last edition's final, which was played in under-16 format, where India emerged victorious by 2-0 margin.

India beat Nepal 4-2 in the first semfiinal earlier in the day.