It all came down to the penalty shootout after two months of labor. However, the boys’ spirit was shown by the composed manner in which the India U19 men’s national team handled themselves throughout the most tense part of the SAFF U19 Championship final versus Bangladesh. On Sunday, May 18, 2025, at the Golden Jubilee Stadium, the SAFF U19 champions were crowned, and head coach Bibiano Fernandes was full of praise for his team.
“We knew it would not be an easy final by any stretch of imagination,” stated Fernandes at the post-match press conference. “Bangladesh showed their mettle as well, coming back from a goal down. But our boys exhibited tremendous character to keep fighting for the 90 minutes and beyond.”
“We must also appreciate how Bangladesh fought back. I think they showed how good a side they are. It was an entertaining game, and at the end, we’re happy that we came out as champions,” stated Fernandes, who claimed his fourth junior SAFF title on Sunday night.
Even though the final ended in a thrilling penalty shootout, Fernandes secretly had faith in the Blue Colts’ skills.
“I was always positive for the penalties because I have full faith in my players. I knew that our goalkeeper Suraj (Singh Aheibam) is good at saving penalties. He’s been amazing at the training sessions, when we practiced spot-kicks. We knew he would make us proud,” stated Fernandes. “The job for the rest of the boys was to put the ball in the net.”
Although the India U19s displayed calm assurance under stressful circumstances, their 48-year-old coach credited the crowd’s encouragement for a large portion of the team’s mindset.
“Arunachal Pradesh was amazing for us. I’ve never seen so many fans turn up for a junior game anywhere in India. We will certainly remember this for the rest of our lives,” he said. “The crowd was amazing, and the boys enjoyed playing in front of them.”
“I would like to dedicate this victory to the fans in Arunachal Pradesh, they were truly amazing. They pushed us and supported us all the way. They made us play the way we did. I’m sure this will motivate more youngsters to dream of playing for the national team one day, and we will have more players like Omang (Dodum) come through,” he stated.
The Blue Colts will now get back together and start getting ready for the AFC U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers, which will take place the following year.
“India has ample talent. If we do good development, we will one day see India qualify for the World Cup, that remains the dream, as always,” stated Fernandes.
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