Maldives gains point with 2-2 draw against Bangladesh in SAFF U-19 Championship

Maldives Under-19 national football team secured a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Bangladesh in their opening match of the SAFF U-19 Championship.

The championship kicked off yesterday at the Golden Jubilee Stadium in Yupia, India.

Bangladesh dominated the first half and took a two-goal lead. However, Maldives made a strong comeback in the second half.

Anoof Abdulla narrowed the gap in the 57th minute, converting a well-placed pass from Nassah Ibrahim Nasir. The equalizer came in the 73rd minute through Ethan Ibrahim Zaki, who scored a goal following an assist from team captain Ahzam Rasheed.

The championship which is participated by six countries, features Bhutan, Maldives and Bangladesh in Group A. Group B features host nation India alongside Nepal and Sri Lanka.

The tournament will continue this Sunday with a match between Bangladesh and Bhutan. Sri Lanka will play their first game against Bhutan on Tuesday.

This is the seventh edition of the regional youth tournament for the under-18, under-19, and under-20 age groups. Bangladesh are the defending champions, having won last year's U-20 championship, while India and Nepal have previously won the U-19 title.