Bangladesh beat Qatar, reach 2nd round

Bangladesh U-23 team reached the 2nd round of the Asian Games Men’s Football for the first time adding a glorious chapter to the country’s football arena eliminating Qatar, the hosts of the FIFA World Cup 2022, by 1-0 goal in the last B Group match at Patriot Chandrabhaga Stadium in Bekasi, Jakarta, on Sunday.

Bangladesh will play their 2nd round match, opponent of which was yet to be finalized, on August 24. Bangladesh’s probable rival will be any country from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Myanmar and North Korea.

With day’s astonishing merited victory, Bangladesh finished Group B as runners-up to qualify for the round of 16 (2nd round) securing four points from three matches while former champions Uzbekistan clinched the Group B crown with all-win record to qualify for the next round collecting full nine points from three matches.

When the crucial match was almost heading for a draw, Jamal Bhuiyan scored the match-winning goal for Bangladesh in the 93rd minute of the match by an angular ground shot, utilising a pass of Masuk Mia Zoni (1-0).

Besides, Bangladesh spoiled four more good chances in the match with Mahbubur Rahman Sufil wasting three alone.

Earlier in Incheon Asian Games in 2014, Bangladesh beat Afghanistan by 1-0 goal to secure three points from three matches, but failed to qualify for the 2nd round of the meet.

Bangladesh started the match with a very difficult calculation to reach the next round. They had to win the match against Qatar as well as to wait for Uzbekistan’s victory against Thailand. And they successfully achieved their goal.

In the day’s other match, Uzbekistan beat Thailand by 1-0 goal by dint of the goal scored by Zabikhillo Urinboev in the 17th minute.

Bangladesh (FIFA World Ranked 194) surprised football pundits beating Asian giant and much superior Qatar (FIFA World Ranked 98).

Apart from Uzbekistan (FIFA World Ranked 95) and Bangladesh (FIFA World Ranked 194), Thailand (FIFA World Ranked 122) also have an outside chance to reach the 2nd round of the meet as the best four 3rd placed teams of the six groups.

Earlier, Bangladesh team kept their 2nd round hope alive forcing stronger and upper-ranked Thailand U-23 side to play 1-1 draw in their 2nd group match after conceding 0-3 goals defeat against Uzbekistan in the opening match.

Standings of B Group: Tabulating under match played, win, draw, loss goal for, goal against, goal difference and points)

Uzbekistan : 3 3 0 0 10 0 +10 9

Bangladesh: 3 1 1 1 2 4 -2 4

Thailand: 3 0 2 1 2 3 -1 2

Qatar: 3 0 1 2 1 8 -7 1