Bangladesh succumbed to their first defeat of the 2021 SAFF Championship as hosts Maldives beat them 2-0 on Thursday.
Hamza Mohamed opened the scoring for Maldives in the 55th minute before Ali Ashfaq converted from the spot to double their lead.
Bangladesh, without Rakib Hossain and Bishwanath Ghosh, could barely trouble the Maldives defence and were run ragged by the attackers.
This is Bangladesh’s fourth consecutive defeat to Maldives. In total, this is their fifth defeat to the island-based nation.
Bangladesh started the game on the front foot as it took them only two minutes to register their first shot on target. After a nice move down the right wing, Biplo Ahmed took the shot but it was straight to the Maldives goalkeeper Mohamed Faisal.
Biplo had another go at the ninth minute but this time his shot sailed way over the goal.
But after the first 15 minutes of domination from Oscar Bruzon’s men, the hosts took charge and started to create through both wings.
They faced a blow when defender Ashadh Ali had to be taken off due to an injury but that hardly disrupted their game.
After playing well for most of the first half, it was in the final few minutes when Maldives started to really threaten Bangladesh.
In the 45th minute, Maldives almost scored when Ali Ashfaq played a clever slide-roll pass from a free-kick to Ali Fasir, who was free in the box. But Rahman Miah, playing this match in place of the suspended Bishwanath Ghosh, managed to block the shot.
In the added minute, Maldives had another free-kick at the edge of the box and Ashfaq almost curled it in, but Bangladesh goalkeeper Anisur Rahman Zico was there to claw it out and end the half without conceding.
Zico saved Bangladesh once again in the 53rd minute when he brilliantly saved Fasir’s shot. But Bangladesh’s luck ran out a couple of minutes later when Hamza Mohamed’s brilliant scissor kick beat Zico and brought them a 1-0 lead.
After conceding the goal, Bangladesh came out of their shell as Bruzon brought in Mahbubur Rahman, Suman Reza and Jewel Rana. Skipper Jamal Bhuyan hit a great shot but it hit Matin Miah in the Maldives box and went wide.
But Bangladesh’s attacking intent was ruined when Sohel Rana committed a silly foul in the Bangladesh box to gift Maldives a penalty. From the spot, the experienced Ashfaq did no mistake as he took Maldives 2-0 up in the 74th minute.
In the last 20 minutes, Maldives could have scored a couple more if not more for the heroics of Zico and centre-back Tariq Kazi.
In the final minute, Matin hit a shot towards the Maldives goal but it went just wide.
