KATHMANDU: Mosammat Sagorika led Bangladesh to a dominant 4–0 victory over Nepal in the final league match of the SAFF U-20 Women’s Championship, scoring all four goals after returning from a three-match suspension.

The match took place on Monday at the Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka.

With this win, Bangladesh successfully defended its title, winning all six matches and collecting a perfect 18 points.

Nepal, finishing second, managed only 12 points from the same number of games and lost to Bangladesh for the second time in the tournament.

In their first encounter, Bangladesh had snatched a dramatic 3–2 win with a stoppage-time goal.

This marks Bangladesh’s fifth age-group title in the SAFF Women’s competition, including their championship win in 2023.

Sagorika opened the scoring in the 8th minute, slotting the ball past Nepal’s goalkeeper Sujata Tamang after receiving a through ball.

The first half ended 1–0. She became even more aggressive in the second half, scoring her second goal in the 52nd minute by dribbling past Simran and Sujata.

Her hat-trick was completed in the 58th minute, capitalizing on a defensive error.

She added her fourth goal in the 78th minute, calmly beating Sujata again following a pass from Munki Akhtar.

Sagorika had previously been involved in a controversy during the July 13 match against Nepal, where she and Nepali defender Simran Rai received red cards for an altercation.

The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) handed both players a three-match suspension and fined them USD 500 each.

Despite the setback, Sagorika made a powerful comeback, playing a pivotal role in securing the championship for Bangladesh.