Home ›› 12 Jun 2022 ›› Sport
It was a disappointing afternoon for Bangladesh at the Bukit Jalil Stadium in Malaysia as the Red and Green left the field empty-handed, losing 2-1 to Turkmenistan in a chance-plenty game on Saturday.
This loss means that Bangladesh head coach Javier Cabrera remains winless in his first four matches as head coach.
Turkmenistan scored early in the seventh minute, courtesy of winger Annadurdyyev Altymyrat but Bangladesh equalized soon after in the 12th minute.
Mohammad Ibrahim headed home and levelled the score-line. However, Turkmenistan clinched the game when substitute Amanov Arslan came in clutch and tapped it home in the 77th minute to bag all three points.
The Spanish coach displayed consistency in his selection as he fielded the same starting eleven for three straight games in a 4-1-4-1 formation.
It was evident from the first whistle that Cabrera’s men had arrived to go for the kill as they went toe-to-toe with 134th-ranked Turkmenistan.
But they were pegged back by an early host of attacks by Turkmenistan, which resulted in their first goal in the seventh minute.
Bangladesh had conceded five corners in the first seven minutes as they attempted to keep Turkmenistan out.
But on the fifth corner, a lapse in concentration saw winger Altymyrat wriggling away from his marker and nestle it home to the far post.
Jamal and company warded off the early attacks and put some passes in as they looked to come out of their shell.
Their controlled adventure paid dividends soon after as winger Mohammad Ibrahim scored the equaliser in the 12th minute, netting the first goal under Cabrera’s reign.
Defender Bishwanath Ghosh directed a trademark long-throw into the box from the left side and winger Rakib Hossain met it with his head, guiding it towards goal.
The goalkeeper punched it away but a free Ibrahim found himself open as he headed it home.
Despite facing a side, that is 54 places above them in World Rankings, Bangladesh found their feet and gained confidence as every minute passed.
Record-break Jamal, who became the most capped player for Bangladesh with 65 caps, bossed the centre of the field with agility and precision.
His guile on the ball and assertiveness stood out as he led with authority, showing glimpses of the Jamal, who had outshined his compatriots in the early days of his Bangladeshi career.
Bangladesh finished the first 45 minutes as the side with superior control and boosted confidence, remaining fairly even on possession.
They let Turkmenistan have the ball and defended deep while staying fairly compact in shape.
Turkmenistan obliged, enjoying the lion-share of the possession, as they pinned Bangladesh back, playing the majority of their football in the opposition’s half.
A sustained period of pressure provided the goods in the 77th minute as the wingers from both sides linked up to put Turkmenistan in the lead.
A lapse in concentration from defender Rimon Hossain allowed winger Altymyrat to swoop past and deliver a low-driven cross across the goal.
Right-winger Arslan came in from the right-flank, evaded defender Yeasin Arafat and tapped it home.
Rain poured down at the Bukit Jalil and with it brought a sense of familiarity and fortune for Bangladesh.
In the 89th minute, defender Tutul Badsha found himself on the receiving end of a free-kick from Jamal but the defender failed to turn it into an open goal from five yards and it was enough for Turkmenistan to escape with a victory.
Bangladesh will take on hosts Malaysia in their final group stage match on June 14 at the same venue.
