Bangladesh goalkeeper Anisur Rahman Zico admitted that his performance in the just concluded SAFF Championship 2023 is one of the finest of his career after being named the best goalkeeper of the tournament, but couldn't hide his regret for not reaching the final.
The 25-year old custodian enjoyed a solid campaign between the sticks and produced some outstanding saves during the semi-final against higher-ranked Kuwait where Bangladesh were on the receiving end of a narrow defeat after a thrilling 120-minute encounter.
India eventually clinched the eight-nation competition for the ninth time after beating Kuwait in the final Tuesday following which Zico's name was announced as the best goalkeeper of the tournament.
“It feels really good because there were better goalkeepers in the South Asian teams than me and it's a big achievement for my career,” Zico told Dhaka Tribune Wednesday.
Bangladesh defeated another higher-ranked side the Maldives 3-1 before outplaying Bhutan by the same margin to advance to the knockout stage.
“I'll be more delighted if we had qualified for the final, then we would have had the chance to become champions. This is the only regret,” he said.
Bashundhara Kings' No 1 had some notable performances at different club competitions in the past, including the prestigious AFC Cup, but he put the latest accolade ahead compared to every other achievement.
“I always try to give my best. SAFF Championship is different than others. There were two teams from outside of South Asia. We had to play stronger sides. This was a tough tournament for me. Maybe, it is the best to me considering we reached the semi-final after 14 years with good display,” he said.