India's quest for a third consecutive title came to an agonising end as hosts Bangladesh rode on Motiur Rahman Munna's brilliance to fashion a 2-1 victory and romp into the final of the South Asian Football Federation tournament in Dhaka on Saturday.
The hard-working Munna shattered India's hopes of retaining the title as he scored the 'golden goal' early in extra- time in a thrilling semi-final contest at the Bangabandhu National stadium.
The hosts will now clash with Maldives in the summit showdown on Monday after the islanders scraped past Pakistan by a solitary goal in the first semi-final.
Handicapped by the absence of four key players, including star striker Baichung Bhutia, due to injuries, the defending champions played their hearts out before Munna tilted the balance in favour of the home team with a spectacular goal, six minutes into extra-time.
Both the teams were locked 1-1 at the end of regulation time but the Indians, appearing a little tentatative in extra-time, paid a heavy price for a defensive lapse.
Spurred on by a vociferous home crowd, Bangladesh shot into the lead in the 77th minute of the fast-paced contest through Rokonuzzaman Kanchan before the Indians restored parity through Alvito D'Cunha four minutes later.
