Kathmandu, Nepal (August 21): With just ten players, Bhutan defeated Maldives 2-1 to keep their semi-final hopes alive in the ongoing SAFF U20 Championship.
Bhutan, having lost their first group game to India 1-0, led today's match 1-0 at halftime but lost their goalkeeper, Sonam Tenzin, just five minutes into the second half. Despite Maldives equalizing, Bhutan secured victory by scoring in the final moments of the game.
With India and Bhutan already having three points each in Group B, Maldives must win their final group game against India to have any chance of advancing to the semi-finals.
Today's game at ANFA Complex was highly entertaining. Bhutan, who had an early goal attempt within the first 46 seconds, scored their first goal in the 21st minute. Fullback Jignam Dorji delivered a cross that Jetsuen Dorji converted into a goal.
Maldives goalkeeper Mohamed Yaameen made several crucial saves to prevent Bhutan from doubling their lead.
Maldives Captain Shanan Rashad and midfielder Ish Aafu Mohamed Firaq attempted to create opportunities in the first half but were unsuccessful.
However, five minutes into the second half, Ish Aafu's pass to Shanan led to a chance that was handled by Bhutan's goalkeeper Tenzin. The referee issued a straight red card to Tenzin for handling the ball outside the area. Ish Aafu capitalized on the opportunity by scoring the equalizer with a direct free kick.
Maldives was unable to capitalize on Bhutan being a man down. Instead, it was Bhutan who made a decisive impact in the final moments of the game. In the first minute of stoppage time, substitute Ngawang Chopel scored the winning goal after finding space inside the Maldives penalty area.
This victory marks Bhutan's third win over Maldives. Previously, Bhutan defeated Maldives 1-0 in the 2017 U18 SAFF Championship and 2-1 in the 2019 South Asian Games (U23 event, with three senior players).
Bhutan, which reached the semi-finals of last year's U19 SAFF Championship, will be hoping for a favorable outcome in the final Group B game of this year's SAFF U20 Championship between Maldives and India, scheduled for Friday.
