SAFF U-20 Championship 2022 Final Live Commentary: India vs Bangladesh

6:30 PM: Hello everyone and welcome to Khel Now’s LIVE COVERAGE of the India vs Bangladesh match in SAFF U-20 Championship 2022. The kick-off is just half an hour away! I’m your host Vinayak S Sivan, and I’ll be keeping you company through what promises a fascinating evening of football. Please wait for 30 Seconds for Live blog to load.

India vs Bangladesh: Build-up

India are all set to take on Bangladesh in the grand finale of the SAFF U-20 Championship 2022, at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. Both teams finished as top two after engagements of the round robin league.

“Playing in a final is always a different feeling, it’s special. I myself have won 3 SAFF championships as a player and a captain, and also been in two SAFF Finals as the assistant coach of the Senior National Team. It’s been a special feeling every time,” said Venkatesh on the eve of the match. “We have all been telling our boys of the same experiences, and they are all looking forward to the match.”

While it will be a special occasion for the boys, Venkatesh did warn against complacency. “We need to make sure that we are not overwhelmed. We need to get out there and play our game, and win the match,” stated Venkatesh. “Bangladesh are a good side, and they have shown just as much in our first game. We did struggle a bit in our first match, but we have found our footing and the boys are more confident now.”

Meanwhile, Bangladesh head coach Paul Smalley said that he has viewed all of India’s matches, and have planned accordingly, ahead of the final.

“They played a very different game against Maldives than they did against us. We have reviewed all their matches and how they change their game, and we’ve prepared accordingly,” said Smalley. “We very much understand how to expose their weaknesses, as much as they would be working on exposing ours. We wish them all the best for the game.”