Sri Lanka, on the other hand, crashed out of the tournament following its second consecutive defeat. Earlier, India had thrashed Sri Lanka 4-1 in the first match of Group B. India and Bangladesh will play on Thursday to decide the group winner and runner-up.[break]
Captain Mohammad Tutul Hosain Badsha gave the lead to Bangladesh in the 28th minute of the match. Sri Lankan goalkeeper KAB Prabath failed to collect a freekick taken by Badsha from the edge of the danger area.
Sri Lankan SS Niresh scored the equalizer in the 43rd minute with a powerful shot from 30 yards that left Bangladesh goalkeeper Mohammad Pappu Hossain clueless.
However, Bangladesh skipper Badsha shined once again to restore his side´s lead in the 57th minute. Badsha headed home in a freekick taken by Mohammad Shaun Hossain to make it 2-1.
Putting up a better technical and coordinated effort on the ground, Bangladesh sealed a 3-1 victory in the 81st minute. Torikul Islam scored the third goal for Bangladesh in a one-on-one situation with Sri Lankan goalkeeper Prabath.
Sri Lankan coach Nimal Wijesekara said his team could not perform well due to lack of preparation. "We arrived in Nepal after training for a month only and our players lack fitness," said Wijesekara. "I´m happy with the way the boys put up a fight against a good team like Bangladesh, who played better football today," he added.
Koster Rene, the Dutch coach of Bangladesh, applauded the performance of his captain Badsha but was not satisfied with the way his team performed in the match. "South Asian teams play long passes. It´s American style. As a European coach, I encourage team to play short passes. However, my boys could not follow me," said Rene.
Nepal eyes win against Pakistan
Nepali U-16 team coach Bal Gopal Maharjan said his team would aim for victory when it faces defending champion Pakistan in a crucial Group A match of the championship at the Dasharath Stadium on Wednesday. Nepal, which defeated Bhutan 7-0 and played a 1-1 draw with Afghanistan, leads the group with four points. Pakistan, which played a 1-1 draw with Afghanistan and a 0-0 draw against Bhutan, has two points. Afghanistan, which faces Bhutan on Wednesday, also has two points.
A draw would be enough for Nepal to secure berth in the semifinals. If Bhutan wins or plays a draw against Afghanistan on Wednesday at the Army Sports Complex, Lagankhel, Nepal will qualify for the semifinal even if it loses to Pakistan.
Nepal coach Maharjan said his team is pumped up to face Pakistan and seal a victory. "We are aiming to lift the trophy. If we beat the defending champion to reach the semifinals, the result will obviously boost the morale of the players," said Maharjan. "I have watched Pakistan. Its captain and two other players are the crucial players of the team. However, they have not been able to produce goals. They failed to put up a good show in the last two matches. On the other hand, our team has been improving with every match," claimed Maharjan.
However, he said that his team also failed to produce goals against Afghanistan despite playing with better coordination in the match than against Bhutan. "I hope the strikers will not repeat the same mistakes against Pakistan," said Maharjan.
Today´s matches
Nepal Vs Pakistan @ 16:00 NST
Venue: Dasharath Stadium
Afghanistan Vs Bhutan @16:00 NST
Venue: Army Sports Complex, Lagankhel
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