A cheery SAFF triumph

When they won the tough semi-final match against India, the general mood of expectation suddenly transformed into high hopes. Local fans would not have been happy with anything less than the top honours, and the boys have not disappointed them. Bangladesh are the new SAFF champions.

The final, however, turned out to be a long-drawn affair, though the supremacy of the Bangladesh side was never in question. The match was level-pegging at 1-1 after the extra time, and the penalty shootout, perhaps the most unjust way of finishing a thrilling encounter, could not be avoided. The boys again did not lose their equanimity, and clinched the issue with some accurate placement of the ball. The Maldives also deserve credit for holding their own for an excruciating 120 minutes.

Some of the local players have really done well in this tournament. Motiur Rahman Munna, who scored a tremendous goal against the Indians, got another chance to prove his class in the final, but his power-packed right-footer hit the crossbar. The players stood their ground with a sense of purpose and determination.

That said, George Kottan, whose two-year stint with our national team ended with the SAFF final, must be a happy man. He had to perform the difficult job of lifting the sagging morale of a side that had apparently lost its sense of direction. Kottan, however, did not give up and succeeded in developing the team into a tough-fighting unit. He has shown what a good coach can achieve.

Our football has got what it needed, and the fans would like to see the SAFF triumph as a turning point for it. The organisers should make some sincere efforts to push the game ahead, as the overall conditions are now ideal for it to scale new heights. The boys have to perform brilliantly in the days ahead so that we do not have to bask in the glory of just one memorable event.