BSS: Bangladesh start their SAFF Championship mission by beating Sri Lanka 1-0 at National Football Stadium in Male, the capital of Maldives on Friday. Topu Barman scored the lone goal of the match from a penalty at 54th minute.
The whole stadium wore a festive mood when the Bangladeshi expatriate workers came to support the Bangladesh team. The crowds brought out a procession chanting slogan of Bangladesh outside the stadium.
Their support however, did not go in vain with Bangladesh achieving a remarkable victory on the day against Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh got the first scoring chance in the very 9th minute, but a right footed shot, taken by defender Tapu Barmon, from center of the box was brilliantly blocked by Sri Lankan custodian Perera as he dived to his left to save his team from a goal.
Sri Lanka also came close to scoring in the 20th minute, when Nicholus Harsha Fernando’s right footed shot from outside the box went out of play following a set piece situation.
Bangladesh was deprived from another scoring chance in the 29th minute when Rakib Hossain’s right footed shot from outside the box off passed from Biplu Ahmed narrowly missed the target.
Bangladesh again came close of scoring in the 30th minute when Mohammad Jewel Rana’s right footed shot off a pass from Biswanath Ghosh was too high to find the net.
Bangladesh was deprived from a certain goal in the 45+1st minute when Topu Barman’s well-judge header off a cross from Yeasin Arafat from the centre of the box was saved at the top right corner.
After the barren first half, Topu Barmon finally broke the deadlock in the 56th minute from a penalty. Syrian referee Feras Taweel awarded the spot kick in favor of Bangladesh while Sri Lankan Yogendra Duckson Puslas, tried to defend an attack by conceding the ball on his hand at the penalty area.
Topu Barmon made no mistake to convert the spot kick with a brilliant right footed shot.
Bangladesh continued their onslaught in the second half and this time skipper Jamal Bhuyan’s right footed shot off a pass from Biplu Ahmed from outside the box narrowly went out beside the left side bar in the 61st minute of the match.
Sri Lanka had a chance to level the margin in the 75th minute when Dillon De Silva’s right footed shot from outside the box missed to the left from a direct free kick.
Sri Lanka tried heart and soul to stage a fight back in the match but they failed to convert any due to lack of proper finishing. Bangladesh could have won with bigger margin if they did not miss some real scoring chances in the dying moment of the match.
The boys in red and green will play their second match against strong India on Monday (4 October) before facing the hosts Maldives on 7 October. Bangladesh will then play against Nepal in their final match of the championship on 13 October.
