Bangladesh thrash Maldives 9-0 to reach SAFF U-15 semi-final

Md Nihat Jaman Ucchash scored a hat-trick in the first half. Rasel Ahmed scored his hat-trick in the second. And with that display of skills from the forwards, Bangladesh blew past the Maldives to the semi-final of the SAFF Under-15 Football Championshuip.

Bangladesh won the first match of the ‘A’ Group 9-0 at Nepal’s Anfa Complex on Saturday. In addition to the hat-tricks, Md Ashikur Rahman scored twice, while Mohammad Mahedi Hasan scored once.

The Maldives have now been knocked out of the competition after suffering a 4-0 defeat to hosts Nepal in their first match.

Bangladesh and Nepal, with 3 points from one win each, now top the group. The two sides will face off on Monday to decide the group champion.

Bangladesh will be ahead on goals if the match ends in a draw.

Ucchash tapped the ball in from the D-box in the 11th minute to open the scoring.

In the 20th minute he capitalised on a long throw-in by skipping past two defenders and firing the ball into the back of the net.

He completed his hat-trick only three minutes later after a Maldives back-pass went awry and put him in prime position.

Bangladesh made it 4-0 before the half as a long shot from the near post saw Mahedi get on the scoreboard in added time.

Rasel found the back of the net from a long shot at the start of the second half. He doubled his contribution in the very next minute. He capped off his hat-trick with a smart flick-on in the 66th minute.

Substitute midfielder Ashiqur Rahman punished Maldives goalkeeper Yoosuf Meesam Abdullah for an 80th minute lapse in judgment to take the score to 8-0.

The substitute also put the nail in Maldives’ coffin, hammering in a perfect shot in extra time.