Dhaka: Bangladesh suffered a frustrating 1-0 defeat to visiting Maldives in the first of the two-match FIFA Friendlies held at Bashundhara Kings Arena in the city on Wednesday. Bangladesh took control of the match from the very beginning but failed to capitalize on multiple scoring opportunities, trailing by a single goal throughout the match.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the only goal of the match came in the 18th minute when Maldives’ Ali Fasir scored with a close header, capitalizing on a free kick from Hamja Mohamed. Bangladesh’s custodian Mitul Marma had no chance to save the well-placed shot. Despite several counterattacks and attempts to equalize, Bangladesh’s Sohel Rana and Faisal Ahmed Fahim missed crucial opportunities to score.
Credit must go to Maldives’ goalkeeper Hussen Shareef, whose stellar performance thwarted several promising attempts by Bangladesh, especially in the second half. Bangladesh’s forward Rakib Hossain came close to scoring in the 33rd minute, but his shot was def
lected by a Maldives defender. Sohel Rana was also unlucky when his powerful shot hit the post just before halftime.
In the second half, Bangladesh continued their aggressive play, creating numerous scoring chances. Shahriar Emon’s header in the 70th minute narrowly missed, and substitute Mijibor Rahman Jony’s powerful shot was brilliantly saved by Shareef in the 74th minute. Despite dominating play, Bangladesh could not find the back of the net and ended the match empty-handed.
The second and ultimate match of the series will be held on November 16 at the same venue. Bangladesh’s squad featured players like Topu Barman (captain), Md Ridoy, Sheikh Morsalin, Rakib Hossain, and others, who will seek to turn their fortunes in the upcoming match.