Bangladesh's dream of reaching the final in the ongoing SAFF Championship was shattered by a late goal from Kuwait defender Abdullah Al Buloushi on Saturday at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, India.
After a gap of 14 years, Bangladesh advanced to the semi-finals of the SAFF Championship but lost to Kuwait in extra time due to a conceded goal.
This was Bangladesh's first semi-final appearance since the 2009 SAFF Championship, with their last successful semi-final hurdle being in 2005.
Anisur Rahman Zico, the Bangladeshi goalkeeper, stood as an impenetrable barrier against Kuwait, saving a few chances and helping Bangladesh contain their opponents for a long time during the match.
Although Bangladesh managed to create some easy chances, their forward line's lack of efficiency rendered all their efforts futile.
Kuwait holds the 141st position in the FIFA rankings, while Bangladesh ranks 192nd, clearly highlighting the difference between the two teams.
However, in Saturday's semi-final, Bangladesh managed to contain Kuwait for over 105 minutes before conceding a goal due to a defensive mistake in the 107th minute.
In the 61st minute, Sheikh Morsalin and Rakib Hossain had an easy chance to score but failed to find the net against their opponents.
In terms of ball possession, Kuwait dominated with 71 per cent, leaving Bangladesh with the remaining 29 per cent.
Bangladeshi forwards had to work hard to support their defenders while remaining vigilant to create scoring opportunities.
Prior to the event, Bangladesh's captain, Jamal Bhuyan, had expressed satisfaction with reaching the semi-finals. In that sense, Bangladesh ended this year's SAFF Championship with their heads held high.
In the group stage games, Bangladesh lost to Lebanon before winning two consecutive games against Maldives and Bhutan.
Bangladesh's greatest success in the SAFF Championship came in 2003 when they defeated Maldives at home to win the SAFF title. Since then, Bangladesh reached the final once but failed to replicate that success.
