Sports Desk:

Substitute goalkeeper Mohammad Asif saved to crucial penalties in the penalty shootout as Bangladesh made it to the final of SAFF U-20 Championship  with a 4-3 win over India in the second semifinal at the ANFA Complex in Lalitpur, Nepal Monday.

Three-time runners-up Bangladesh will face hosts Nepal in the final on Wednesday.

Asif, who came in place of regular goalkeeper and captain Mehedi Hasan Srabon after the latter had to leave the field due to an injury in 69th minute , saw three-time champions India equalise the scoreline 1-1 in the 75th minute from a scramble but the tall-goalkeeper turned into the hero of Bangladesh’s triumph during the shootouts.

Asif first stopped India’s Thanglalsoun Gangte to demoralise the Indian side before stopping the fifth penalty from Akash Tirkey. Bangladesh’s Piash Ahmed Nova, Moinul Islam, Shakil Ahmed Topu and Ashraful Haque converted all four goals.

The men in red and green were on the backfoot throughout the early exhanges before they took the lead in the 35th minute with a strike from Asadul Molla. Indian captain Ricky Meetei Naobam canceled out Bangladesh’s lead in the 75th minute and the match went to penalties after the regulation time ended in a 1-1 draw.