Sunday , 22 December, 2024 | 8 পৌষ, 1431 Bangabdo
Published: 01:58 28 August 2024
At the end of the match Mirazul Islam could not speak. After defeating Nepal 4-1 to win the SAF U-20 Championship for the first time, Mirazul remembered the Creator, "Allah Almighty was with us today, we did nothing, all is for Almighty Allah."
Nepal's top scorer in this tournament is Mirazul. He scored in the first match against Sri Lanka. Then he scored in the second match of the group against Nepal. And scored two goals in the final today. Mirazul, who scored a total of 4 goals and became the tournament's top scorer, remembered the flood-affected people on the day of the achievement, "The country is getting flooded." Many people are affected. Our title is for them. I could not have scored the goal I scored in the free kick if Allah had not helped me.
In the final, not only the 11 Nepalese players of Mirazul had to 'handle' the Galarivara of the Anfa complex, but also the local fans. The thunderous screams of the audience could have put Bangladesh under pressure. But on the contrary to the screams of the audience, the players of Nepal were under pressure. Even though they dominated the whole match, Nepal had to lose to the strategy of Bangladesh. After winning the Under-20 SAFF trophy for the first time with a 4-1 win, Coach Maruful Haque spoke about his strategy, 'I had only one day left after the semi-finals. At this time I tried to make the players fully fit for the final. But at the start of today's match, I told the players to play slowly. The aim was to play on the counter-attack. But after a while, I saw that despite playing in their own field, the expectations of the visitors have become a pressure on Nepal. At that time, I asked the players to change the strategy and play attacking football. Coach Maruful Haque dedicated the title to the people killed in the July-August movement, "I dedicate this trophy, this glory to the students to build a new Bangladesh in July and the beginning of this month. - To the martyrs of the people's movement.'
The preparation of the U-20 team started in the explosive political situation of the country. Practices were not possible for several days due to violence. Before going to Nepal, coach Maruful informed about the lack of preparation. He did not dare to win the title. However, he expected to play in the final. In the end, Bangladesh won the title after overcoming all obstacles.
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