Nepal UK
Photo: Courtesy of SAFF
KATHMANDU – Nepal's under-17 men's football team's journey at the 2022 SAFF U17 Championship ended in a disappointing 3-0 loss to arch-rivals India in the semi-finals.
The match, played at Colombo Racecourse Stadium in Sri Lanka on September 14, 2022, saw India's second-half dominance secure their place in the final.
The first goal came from Gunleiba Wangkheirakpam in the 61st minute, followed by a second from Azlaan Shah Kh in the 80th minute. Diamond Singh sealed the victory with a late goal, making the final score 3-0. The defeat continued a challenging trend for Nepal, as they have now been defeated by India a total of 12 times in 13 encounters at SAFF men's underage tournaments since 2011.
Following their victory over Nepal, India went on to face Bangladesh in the final. Bangladesh had secured their spot after a 2-0 win against Pakistan in the other semi-final.
In the final match, India defeated Bangladesh with a score of 4-0, claiming their fourth SAFF U17 title. They have a strong record in the tournament, having won five of the six editions held to date.
Looking forward to the 2024 edition of the tournament, which was held in Thimphu, Bhutan, from October 18-28, India successfully defended their title, defeating Bangladesh in the final with a 2-0 score.
The win solidified their status as the most successful team in the tournament's history. Nepal, meanwhile, was knocked out in the group stage, failing to advance to the semi-finals.
