Bangladesh U-20 national football team, who secured their maiden SAFF U-20 title on Wednesday, returned to Dhaka on Thursday. They arrived at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 5:00 pm in the afternoon.

Head coach AKM Maruful Haque, after arriving, said the team was happy as they could complete the mission they were on.

“We had a mission before leaving the country. We told you we wanted to play the final and become the champions,” he told the reporters on Thursday.

Bangladesh had to overcome multiple obstacles on their way to becoming champions. They trained for merely 15 days before leaving for Nepal. They also got only one day’s rest before the all-important final where Nepal had two day’s rest.

Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan, Adviser to the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Interim government met with the champions at the National Sports Council to exchange greetings following their success on the day.

During the meeting, he congratulated the players.

"The new Bangladesh that the students have gifted us through the July Revolution has been reflected on the football field. We must ensure that this achievement and the momentum of success continue," Asif Mahmud said after meeting the SAFF U-20 champions.

He also awarded a cash prize of Tk25,000 to each member of the SAFF-winning team. He said that the success of the youth will invigorate the country's sports sector as a whole.

Meanwhile, the interim government announced on this day that they will accord a reception to the SAFF U-20 champions.

The announcement was given after a meeting of the advisory council at the state guest house Jamuna in Dhaka.

“We have two good news from the sports arena. We have decided to accord a reception to the SAFF champions Bangladesh U-20 football team,” said adviser of the Environment, Forest, and Climate Change ministry Syeda Rizwana Hasan after the meeting.

“The second good news is Bangladesh beat Pakistan in Rawalpindi. We have congratulated the board, team and officials,” she concluded.

Earlier, Bangladesh crushed hosts and former champions Nepal by 4-1, courtesy of a brace by Mirajul Islam, in the final at the ANFA Complex in Lalitpur, Nepal on Wednesday.

Rabby Hossen Rahul and Piash Ahmed Nova contributed one each for the champions while Samir Tamang scored the consolation goal for Nepal.

Bangladesh, who previously became runners-up three times in 2017, 2019 and 2022, were determined to clinch the crown from the beginning of this 2024 edition.

Maruful Haque and his boys started the campaign with a 2-0 win over Sri Lanka, though they suffered a 1-2 defeat to the hosts in the group stage.

But the confident Bangladesh side made a good comeback with a 4(1)-3(1) goals win over the most successful team of this regional age-level event India in a nail-biting semifinal.

The win over India boosted confidence among the Bangladeshi boys that helped them end high-flying Nepal's unbeaten run throughout the tournament and secure the crown.

The SAFF U-20 champions dedicated the title and their achievement to the martyrs of the student-led anti-discrimination movement in July and early August as well as to the flood-affected victims in the country.