Bhutan kept their semi-final hopes alive with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Maldives in their second Group B match of the SAFF U-20 Championship on Wednesday.

Playing at the ANFA Complex, Bhutan took the lead in the 22nd minute through Jitsun Doji's goal. Despite their strong start, Bhutan faced a challenging second half when their goalkeeper, Sonam Tenzing, received a red card for handling the ball outside the box. This left Bhutan with just ten players on the field and handed Maldives a free kick opportunity. Firak capitalized on this chance to equalize, making it 1-1.

As the game neared its end, Bhutan's determination shone through. Nowang Chopel scored the decisive goal, securing a crucial win for Bhutan. With this result, Bhutan now has 3 points from their two matches, putting them on equal footing with India in Group B.

Bhutan's first match ended in a 1-0 loss to India. The final match of the group stage will see India face Maldives, with the outcome of that game determining which two teams advance to the semi-finals from Group B.