Sagorika's hattrick: BD retain SAFF U-20 Women’s crown

Bangladesh U-20 team celebrates retaining SAFF U-20 crown.

Dhaka, July 21 - A brilliant hat-trick by Sagorika powered Bangladesh to retain the SAFF U-20 Women's Championship 2025 title, outplaying their main contender Nepal by 4-0 goals in the title-deciding last league match at the Bashundhara Kings Arena in the capital on Monday evening. 

This was the 2nd consecutive victory for Bangladesh against Nepal in the ongoing four-nation tournament after beating them by 3-2 goals in a keenly contested 2nd league match. 

Mossammat Sagorika, who appeared in the day's match after a three-match suspension for a red card, destroyed Nepal alone, scoring all four goals amid huge enthusiasm among soccer-crazy local fans. 

Sagorika opened the floodgates for Bangladesh in the 8th minute with an angular placing shot (1-0). 

She doubled Bangladesh’s margin in the 51st minute with a placing shot after dodging past an opponent defender and custodian (2-0). 

Sagorika completed the hat-trick, scoring her 3rd goal in the 57th minute with a placing shot over the opponent custodian (3-0). 

Sagorika sealed the fate of the match by scoring the 4th goal for Bangladesh in the 77th minute with a ground placing shot (4-0).

This was the 8th goal for Sagorika in her 3rd match of the meet, after making a hat-trick with three goals against Sri Lanka in the opener and one goal against Nepal in the 2nd league match, before marching off after receiving a red card. 

However, Sagorika withdrew from the field in the 85th minute of the match. 

The Bangladesh team, led by Sagorika, emerged champions with an all-win run, beating Nepal in all departments of the match. Nepal flopped all through the day's match. 

Bangladesh Women's Football is now passing through a golden time in the history of Bangladesh football, making records one after another in recent days.

Bangladesh women's footballers tasted a maiden victory in the AFC Women's Asian Cup by crushing higher-ranked Bahrain by 7-0 goals, and finally made their first-ever final round berth in the 12-team AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026 by shocking a much superior Myanmar earlier this month. 

Earlier, the Bangladesh women's team brought laurels for the country by winning the SAFF Women's crown for the 2nd successive time last year. - UNB