The spectacular victory of Bangladesh’s football team against the Maldives has given Bangladeshi football fans a huge boost of confidence moving forward. Those who were shouting slogans against the team on Wednesday night after the 1-0 defeat against the Maldives were now cheering for the hosts and chanting for the victorious side after their dramatic fight back to win 2-1.
The Bashundhara Kings Stadium was completely buzzing with the passionate cheers of Bangladeshi supporters. Javier Cabrera’s charges had just snatched a deserved victory in stoppage time. Abahani midfielder Papon Singh, who replaced captain Jamal Bhuyan in the 89th minute, found himself in the right place at the right time just five minutes later, stabbing home substitute Shahriar Emmon’s low cross into the net.
This dramatically charismatic goal completely restored confidence in the team at lightning speed and shattered the spirits of the Maldives fans. The win also significantly changed the mood of the coach. It sent the Bangladeshi football fans into a frenzy of excitement, with the crowd going absolutely wild.
While it’s true that Bangladesh had mounted more attacks in the first game, there could be debate about their effectiveness, as the two forwards, Rakib Hossain and Faysal Ahmed Fahim, failed to capitalize on those opportunities. Instead, it was the midfielders – especially Mojibur Rahman Jonny – who made the difference yesterday. Jonny, who scored his first international goal a year and a half ago in a FIFA friendly match against Cambodia, brought the home side back into the game with a bang, equalizing in the 43rd minute. The Bashundhara Kings midfielder received the ball from Sheikh Morsalin in front of the box, switched to his right foot, and unleashed a curling effort that beat a host of Maldives players and found the far corner of the net.
The goal was a much-needed boost for Cabrera’s men, who had conceded the opening goal in the 23rd minute. Veteran defender Topu Barman’s miscued pass was clinically slotted in by Ali Fasir, the Maldives forward who had scored the only goal of the previous game.
The Spaniard, whose contract as Bangladesh coach runs out in December and who is looking to discuss the matter with the Bangladesh Football Federation, said he is happy with the pool of players at his disposal and is excited about the impending addition of Hamza Choudhury for the March Asia Cup qualifiers.
