• In do-or-die clash against Bhutan today

Sri Lanka fresh from their historic 3-2 victory over Maldives on Monday (23) suffered a close 1-0 loss to Nepal 48-hours later, in their SAFF Under-20 Championship 2026 encounter played at the National Football Stadium in Male, Maldives.

The Nepalese fired the only goal of the contest in the first half via Subash Bam, with both teams being unable to penetrate each other’s defences after the restart, but the former managed to hold onto its lead and prevail, denting the confidence of the Lankans.

Sri Lanka who were riding high having broken through for their first win over the tournament hosts Maldives since the turn of the century, strived hard to find the net, but were kept at bay by their clinical opponents.

Despite this reverse all is not lost for Sri Lanka yet, as they meet Bhutan in a must-win Group A clash at the same venue today (27) as the race for the semifinals heats up.