SAFF U-19 Women’s Championship: India Thrash Bhutan 8-0, Enter Final Against Bangladesh

Pokhara – The Indian U-17 women’s football team delivered a commanding performance to defeat Bhutan 8-0 in their last round-robin match of the SAFF U-19 Women’s Championship 2026 at Pokhara Rangasala Stadium on Wednesday, booking their place in the final.

Pearl Fernandes led the charge with a first-half hat-trick, while Pritika Barman netted two goals as India dominated proceedings with aggressive attacking play. Goals from Alisha Lyngdoh, Abhista Basnett, and Divyani Linda further highlighted India’s superiority in the one-sided encounter.

India took control early, opening the scoring in the sixth minute when Alisha Lyngdoh fired in a precise long-range shot. The lead was quickly doubled as Abhista Basnett finished from close quarters after receiving a cut-back from Pritika Barman.

Pearl Fernandes then made her presence felt by capitalising on a perfectly timed through ball to score India’s third goal. Soon after, Divyani Linda added another with a well-placed finish at the near post. Pritika Barman extended the lead in the 25th minute by converting from the right side of the penalty area.

India maintained relentless pressure, with Pearl scoring two more goals before halftime to complete her hat-trick and help her side surge to a commanding 7-0 lead at the break.

Despite several substitutions in the second half, India continued to dominate and created multiple scoring opportunities, even hitting the woodwork twice. Pritika Barman sealed the emphatic win by scoring her second goal in the final minute and was later awarded the Player of the Match.

Indian goalkeeper Munni had little to do throughout the match as the defence effectively restricted Bhutan’s attacking attempts, allowing only a brief moment of threat in the first half.

With this victory, India finished second in the standings with six points from three matches, trailing group leaders Bangladesh by three points. Earlier in the day, Bangladesh defeated hosts Nepal 4-0, which confirmed India’s entry into the final. Nepal ended the tournament in third place with three points, while Bhutan finished without scoring any points.

India will now face Bangladesh in the championship final on February 7. The Indian U-17 team is participating in the U-19 tournament as part of its preparation for the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2026.

With inputs from IANS