When the U19 women's football teams of India and Bangladesh competed in the final of the 2024 U19 SAFF Women’s Championship, in Dhaka’s BSSS Mostafa Kamal Stadium on Thursday (8 February), proceedings took an ugly turn as unruly fans disrupted the game by throwing what seemed to be stones and bottles on the ground. Following the chaos, both teams were announced as joint-winners of the tournament.
The Events Before the Incident
Despite a recent defeat against the Bangladeshi team, the Indian youngsters got off to an excellent start in the final, with Sibani Devi scoring in only the eighth minute of the match.
Albeit, just when the team could smell victory, Bangladesh bounced back with a Mosammat Sagorika equaliser in the 93rd minute. With the teams proving to be inseparable after the stipulated period, the match progressed to a penalty shootout.
The Incident
Much like the match, the penalties were nip and tuck, and a resolution could not be agreed upon as it ended in an 11-11 tie. The match officials then opted to use a toss to determine the winner, with fortune smiling brightly on the Indians during the flip of the coin.
This decision triggered mayhem among the spectators, who were irked at the toss leading to the hosts missing out on the trophy. Objects – which seemed to be stones and bottles – were hurled on the pitch. Police intervention became necessary to prevent the situation from escalating.
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The Aftermath
Whilst the Indian team had left the pitch once the melee commenced, the Bangladesh team demanded a resumption of the penalties. The outcome of the coin toss was subsequently annulled by the officials, with the broadcasters stating that such a method of determining a winner is not in synchronization with the rules of the game.
The final resolution was to declare both teams as joint winners.
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