Bangladesh stun Tajiks

Bangla-desh stunned former champions Tajikistan 2-1 in the opening match of the AFC Challenge Cup final round at the Sughatadasa Stadium Colombo on Tuesday.
Forward Enamul and midfielder Mishu scored the goals in the second half giving Bangladesh a significant win in the eight-team tournament.
Adding to Takistan’s misery Farrukh Choriev was red-carded in the 79th minute.
Bangladesh had lost four of their five previous encounters against the Central Asian team that included one 6-1 and 5-0 drubbing. The lone draw came in 2007 in Dhaka. Bangladesh, ranked two places below against Tajikistan’s 148 in the FIFA ranking, registered the first victory against former champions extending their winning run to six matches that started in the SA Games. The victory is also momentous as Bangladesh have never beaten a better-ranked football team in the recent past.
AFC website adds: After a heavy downpour drenched the playing surface just before the kick-off Tajikistan dominated the opening minutes before Bangladesh’s Emily was halted by a tight offside flag after 17 minutes following Mamun’s perfectly weighted pass.
A last ditch tackle from Bangladesh defender Rezaul halted Regar-Tadaz striker Davronjon Tukhtasunov firing in the first shot in anger as the persistent rain began to ease.
Bangladesh, though, should have opened the scoring after 24 minutes when Emily surged into the area and after being challenged by goalkeeper Alisher Tuychiev he sent a chipped cross across the face of the goal but Shakil Ahmed could only head wide with the goal at his mercy.
The game began to open up as conditions steadily improved and Tajikistan‘s Ibragim Rabimov headed wide from the edge of the six-yard box before a lively Bangladesh striker Emily and Tukhtasunov both failed to find the target in quick succession just before half-time.
After Bangladesh dominated possession at the start of the second-half, Mamun sent a hooked effort wide when meeting Abdul Baten Komol’s deep back-post cross 13 minutes after the break while at the other end, Tukhtasunov saw his low goal-bound shot from the edge of the area punched away by Aminul.
Bangladesh finally were rewarded for their efforts in the 68th minute as Enamul followed up after Nasir’s shot had been saved by Tuychiev to rifle home from a tight angle.
But the lead was shortlived as Tajikistan scored the equalizer just two minutes later when Rabiev took advantage of Bangladesh’s inability to clear the danger on the edge of the penalty area and fired a shot under Aminul.
However, just four minutes later Bangladesh regained the lead
when Mishu sent a flicked a front-post header from Emily’s delivery across the face of the goal and past the outstretched arm of Tuychiev.
Tajikistan were reduced to 10 men with 11 minutes remaining as Farrukh Choriev was shown a straight red card following a hard challenge on Bangladesh substitute Sabuj.
Bangladesh face Myanmar in the second match on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Saiful Bari Titu, who took over charges of the national football squad just two days before their departure for Colombo, praised his players.
Titu said the Bangladeshi players pressed hard from the first whistle, surprising the Tajiks who had anticipated a defensive strategy from the South Asians.
‘All credit goes to the players. They pressed for possession whenever the opponents had the ball even when it was in their area,’ said Titu.
‘They never expected such an attacking game from us and were taken by surprise. We never allowed them to utilise their long-ball strategy, closing the space every time they got the ball. They had no answer to that,’ added the former national midfielder.

Courtesy of NewAgebd