India ready for Bangladesh challenge in SAFF U19 Women’s Championship final

This match will take place on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at 13:45 IST!

The SAFF U19 Women’s Championship 2026 trophy will be on the line when the Indian U17 women’s team take on Bangladesh U19 at the Pokhara Rangasala Stadium in Pokhara on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at 13:45 IST. The match will be streamed live on the Sportzworkz YouTube Channel.

India, who are participating in the tournament with their U17 team as part of their preparations for the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup 2026, finished second behind their final opponents in the round-robin stage to qualify for the summit clash. The Young Tigresses defeated Nepal 1-0 and Bhutan 8-0 on either side of a 0-2 loss to Bangladesh in Pokhara.

However, India head coach Pamela Conti felt that her girls deserved better with the performance they put on in that defeat.

“Honestly, I think we didn’t deserve to lose that match. We created many goal-scoring chances and could have scored, but the only thing missing was goals. In terms of play, I believe we were superior. However, football teaches you that if you don’t score, you don’t win. We also need to learn to be much more alert, especially against counter-attacks, which is how they hurt us,” said the Italian on the eve of the rematch.

The Young Tigresses knew that they could have a shot at redemption and make the final if they beat Bhutan. They bounced back in some style, netting eight unanswered goals, including a hat-trick by Pearl Fernandes. Now, they carry that momentum to face Bangladesh in what is actually the game that matters.

“We have seen improvement in every game, especially in our play and in how we position ourselves with the ball. Of course, we want to win because it is a final, but the most important thing is that the team gains confidence on the ball and does not fear playing. I hope tomorrow we can play a very good match,” added Conti.

For Indian captain Julan Nongmaithem, it will be a chance to lift a second SAFF title in as many tournaments she has appeared in her youth international career. The 14-year-old won her first trophy in the SAFF U17 Women’s Championship, held in a round-robin format last year in Bhutan, where India wrapped up the title ahead of Bangladesh with a game to spare.

“We know what it takes to win SAFF, and we have no doubt in ourselves that we can do it again. Things did not go our way in the last game, but we have learned from it and will give our best in the final,” said Julan.

There was a notable shift in the Young Tigresses’ morale after Bangladesh, against the run of play, scored their first goal in the last meeting on Monday. The Italian had a long team meeting after the game as she stressed the importance of keeping a strong mentality and maintaining belief should they find themselves trailing.

“I told them after the Bangladesh match that if we conceded a goal, they should not worry. They may be physically a bit stronger because they are older. But we are a good team and superior in terms of footballing play. I am trying to make them understand that it is not always about playing long balls. We can play football. That is real confidence – growing mentally and believing in your ability.

“These experiences are part of their growth. We have to work on understanding that even if we don’t score, it’s okay. We keep going, we don’t drop our heads. We must always lift our heads and move forward,” concluded Conti.

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