A spirited Bangladesh football team fought bravely against the visiting Asian champion Qatar, but were left to rue a series of misfired chances in their 2-0 defeat in the 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers match at Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka Thursday.
With the yawning gap between the sides in the ranking - 125 places to be precise - it was feared the game may become a one-sided one, but the men in red and green showed such a good display that they actually rued missing some golden opportunities in the end at the muddy BNS pitch in front of a vociferous crowd.
Forward Yusuf Abdurisag put the visitor ahead in the first half before midfielder Karim Boudiaf doubled the lead in time added on in a game where the host created around half-a-dozen chances but couldn’t avail any.
Bangladesh head coach Jamie Day made three changes from the playing XI that beat Bhutan 2-0 on October 3 with first-choice goalkeeper Ashraful Islam Rana replacing Shahidul Alam.
Rayhan Hasan returned to the right-back position in place of the injured Sushanta Tripura while Biplo Ahmed sent Rabiul Hasan back to the bench, and started behind lone striker Nabib Newaj Jibon.
The home side made a positive start, not allowing the Asian giant much space to take control of the game.
The 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup joint qualifiers game between Bangladesh and Qatar changed the atmosphere of Bangabandhu National Stadium into a crowded, noisy and festive-like occasion.https://t.co/3LWgHFUD3o#BNS #FOOTBALL #BFF #BANGLADESH #BANGLADESHFOOTBALL #QATAR
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) October 10, 2019
Qatar, who earned 15 corners against India in the last match, won only one corner throughout the first half in the 26th minute and two minutes later, Yusuf broke the deadlock, finding the back of the net from vantage point inside the box.
Earlier, it was the host who earned the first corner of the game and created a couple of set-piece situations from Rayhan’s long throw-ins within 10 minutes into the clock.
The closest one was Jamal Bhuiyan’s energetic right-footer from the top of the box following Rayhan’s second long throw, but the effort flew inches wide.
Bangladesh went close to scoring from a defensive mistake of Qatar in the 24th minute but Mohammad Ibrahim was lagging behind his marker in front of goal and failed to take the chance.
The men in red and green were denied their biggest opportunity to find the net twice in the 43rd minute as two brilliant goal-line clearances by alert Qatar defence refused Yeasin Khan and Riyadul Hasan’s shots from inside the box.
Bangladesh’s first movement inside the Qatar box in the second half also came from another Rayhan long throw but it was not a big deal for the tall opponent defender.
Right-back Musaab Khidir made a dangerous run inside the Bangladesh box in the 54th minute before Rana blocked his close-range attempt.
Qatar made their first substitution in the 68th minute when forward Akram Afif entered the pitch replacing scorer Adurisag, two minutes before Mahbubur Rahman Sufil came off the bench in place of Jibon.
Yeasin then unleashed two headers inside the box in the 71st minute.
Both the efforts, the first, a back-header from a Rayhan long throw, and the second from Sohel Rana’s cross, however, flew over.
Sufil was involved in two big scoring chances for the home side two minutes later.
First, he fed Jamal with a fine ball from the right side but the skipper’s powerful strike on target was superbly headed to safety by defender Bassam Husham.
Sufil took a shot of his own moments later but Qatar custodian Saad al Sheeb fisted it away for a corner.
Biplo’s toe-in from an Ibrahim cutback from outside the six-yard box went wide in the 79th minute.
Boudiaf dented Bangladesh’s remaining hope of coming back when the midfielder doubled the lead from a goal-mouth scramble two minutes into injury time.
Bangladesh XI: Ashraful Islam Rana; Rahmat Mia, Yeasin Khan, Riyadul Hasan, Rayhan Hasan; Jamal Bhuiyan, Sohel Rana, Biplo Ahmed, Mohammad Ibrahim, Saad Uddin; Nabib Newaj Jibon (Mahbubur Rahman Sufil).
RESULT
Bangladesh 0 2 Qatar (Yusuf 28, Boudiaf 90+2)
