Bangladesh overwhelm Pakistan in SAFF U20s

Malé, Maldives: The 2026 SAFF Men’s U20 Championship, Group B at the National Football Stadium saw Pakistan U20s suffer a humbling 2-0 defeat at the hands of hot favourites Bangladesh.

Ronan Sullivan became an instant Bangladeshi hero on debut when the U.S.A-based striker of Bangladeshi heritage scored twice in the 2nd half.

Pakistan, captained by Ali Zafar Hazara and head coached by Shehzad Anwar, struggled from the get go as Bangladesh piled on the pressure in the opening minutes. Pakistan’s midfield and defence seemed totally overrun, losing possession cheaply and allowing Bangladesh create several chances.

But the 2024 SAFF U20 champions, now coached by Englishman Mark Cox, failed to score as the game was 0-0 at the break. Pakistan also ended up getting four yellow cards before half time as referee M Rideewita booked striker Najeeb Ullah, defenders Zarib Haider and Abdul Rehman, and midfielder Zain Imran for several fouls.

In the 2nd half, Bangladesh finally found the breakthrough in 54th minute as Ronan Sullivan’s freekick easily went past Pakistan goalkeeper Kashif to make it 1-0, giving the boisterous Bangladeshi fans in the stands to rally behind their team.

Despite the chaos, Pakistan was able to create one major chance soon when a diagonal ball from substitute Syed Abis Raza Kazmi was headed past Bangladesh keeper Ismail Mahin by Najeeb Ullah. Yet shockingly, the referee called a foul when none existed after Mahin collided with his own defender Yousaf Ali, denying Pakistan a equalizer.

The reprieve only emboldened Bangladesh to increase their lead when Ronan Sullivan’s glancing header again easily went past Pakistan goalkeeper Kashif to make 2-0 in 67th minute. The scoreline remained such by the end of the game, with Bangladesh again missing several chances.

Pakistan U20s now have a mountain to climb if they are to clear the three-team group for a semi-final spot. They now face the 2025 SAFF U19 champions India on 26 March in their last group game.