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SAFF Football Championship 2021

Determined Bangladesh Forced Favorite India Sharing Points

Saleque Sufi | banglanews24.com
Update: 2021-10-05 12:34:29
Determined Bangladesh Forced Favorite India Sharing Points

Determined Bangladesh playing with one less player most of the time in the second half forced tournament favorite India splitting points in a (1-1) drawn match yesterday at Male Maldives. 

Winning one point Bangladesh not leads the points tally with four points from two matches. The possibility for Bangladesh featuring in the final is now looing. Off course Bangladesh has to overcoming two more barriers against Maldives and Nepal. Having wind in the sail Bangladesh can realistically dream for that now. 

It was a different Bangladesh displaying wonderful brand of strategic football. Fallen behind by yet another smart goal by South Asian goal machine Sunil Chetri in the first half (0-1) and losing Bishwanath Ghosh through red card early in the second half brave Bangladesh did not lose heart. Organizing the defense the launched counter attacks as much as possible. From one such attack Bangladesh earned a corner in the 74th minute. Overlapping wing back Yasin Arafat surged ahead. Captain Jamal Bhuiya floating in a defense deceiving swirling kick to which Saduddin flicked, Yasin with a glancing head scored the all important goal. Bangladesh stunned India. It was (1-!).  

It was a great match for Bangladesh considering that India is 82 places ahead in FIFA ranking and Bangladesh has not won against them for 18 years. This was however the second drawn match between the teams over the last three matches. Though India dominated the proceedings having 64-36 ball possessions advantage. But Bangladesh could keep goal hungry Indian front line at bay most of the time excepting once which of all person Sunil Chetri clinically exploited putting his team ahead in the first half (1-0). Unlike other time Bangladesh looked undaunted even after conceding the goal. Keeping the defence tight and having blocked spaces for Sunil effectively Bangladesh also launched attacks and created opportunities. 

Early in the second half Bangladesh got a body blow as Bishwanath Ghosh receiving marching order reduced Bangladesh to 10 men army. Against formidable opposition with a man less Bangladesh had its back to the wall. However, undaunted Bangladesh did not go defensive. Keeping their defense tight they kept on attacking as much as possible.  Tarik, Topu and Yasir worked over time. Jamal was much more enterprising on the day. India was not given much freedom in the mid field for engineering deadly moves. Finally, Bangladesh scoring at 74th minute equalized. Rest of the time the exchanges were pretty even. The justice was done in Bangladesh and India sharing points. 

The team that looked so miserable only couple of weeks back playing against Palestine and Kirgizstan looked much more effervescent. Gone is the ultra-defensive strategy. Playing to their true potential Bangladesh is now better placed for dreaming a berth in the final. If that happens it would a milestone for Bangladesh football. Oscar Brujon has injected fresh blood in the venoms of Bangladesh Footballers. There is still a way to go yet. 

Bangladesh has to keep the momentum going. The can do attitude must be kept intact. The self-belief that was seen yesterday among the players yesterday was what had been missing so far in the Bangladesh players. Hope Bangladesh can hold on their composure and carry it forward. Success breeds success. 

BDST: 1234 HRS, OCT 05, 2021
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