Unlike the Bangladesh men’s football team, the juniors – both boys and girls – tasted unprecedented success in what was an action-filled year. The preceding years might not have had too many tournaments for the young and budding footballers of the country but not 2015. There were several age-level tournaments and it is the Bangladesh Football Federation who must be lauded for its efforts in organising them. The rest was up to the youngsters and they duly made the country proud with their success stories. Below is a list of the three most memorable moments of Bangladesh football in 2015, and surprisingly, the men’s national side feature in none of them.
Kolsindur girls conquer Himalayas
One of the most talked-about triumphs in the Bangladesh sports arena this year was the national Under-14 girls’ title win in the recently concluded Asian Football Confederation’s U-14 Championship (south and central zone). The tournament got underway in April and the Bangladesh girls began their campaign in dominating circumstances, brushing aside hosts Nepal in the group-stage. En route to the grand finale, the girls in red and green also thumped Bhutan 16-0. The final, originally scheduled for April 15, was pushed back for several months due to a devastating earthquake. When asked by the AFC if Bangladesh were willing to share the trophy with finalist Nepal, the BFF denied as they had every confidence in the U-14 girls. The fearless girls repaid the faith of the federation when they beat the home side 1-0 in the rescheduled final last Sunday, thus landing the first and only title for any Bangladesh girls and women’s team in the international arena. Ten players of the squad, including final goalscorer Maria, hail from Kolsindur, a remote village in Mymensingh in the outskirts of the Indian border. The Kolsindur girls created countless headlines in the international media and their success did not go unnoticed as a popular documentary was made to portray their victory to the footballing world.
U-16 boys lift Saff title
Bangladesh last clinched the Saff Championship a long 12 years ago at home so it was a moment to savour when the U-16 boys claimed the third edition of the regional competition in August. The young Bengal Tigers exhibited superb displays and won the crown on the back of an impressive unbeaten run. They beat dark-horses Sri Lanka and favourites India in the group stages before edging past powerhouses Afghanistan in the semi-final to set up a final date with the Indians. And at a jam-packed Sylhet District Stadium on August 18, the youngsters, led by superstars-in-the-making Saad Uddin and Sarwar Zaman Nipu, got the better of India again to spark wild celebrations in the dug-out. The youngsters were rewarded for their success as they were admitted to the BFF Academy in Sylhet, keeping their bright future in mind. It was also the first Saff title – senior or age-level – won under the leadership of BFF president Kazi Salahuddin, who is currently serving a second term in the office.
U12s, 13s shine in Super Mokh Cup
The U-12 and U-13 kids raised the red and green flag high when they reached the respective plate finals in the Super Mokh Cup. The U-12 kids won the plate final after thrashing Malaysian side CIMB-YFA 3-0 and although the U-13s suffered an agonising loss in their plate final against Thai outfit Buriram United, they did get the better of the likes of Croatian Uefa Champions League side Dinamo Zagreb and decorated Brazilian club Corinthians earlier in the group-stage.
