The Bangladesh national football team had to be satisfied with a tense 1-1 draw in their first international friendly match in a year against hosts Nepal at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu yesterday.
After the cancellation of the first of the two international friendly matches due to heavy rain on Tuesday, there was also concern of downpour for yesterday’s game. But the rain God’s stayed away and the match was held in front of some 5000 spectators in bright, sunny conditions.
Following Nepal’s recent performance against the Bangladesh senior side and the Bangladesh U-22 side, Bangladesh were on the back foot against an improving Nepal, who even fielded a debutant U/14 player, Bimal Ghari Magar.
But Bangladesh got off to a sparkling start with striker Zahid Hasan Emily coming close to putting Bangladesh ahead in the very third minute of the game. The rest of the first half though, was an exercise in patience and none of the sides could press home their advantage and it was Bangladesh who took the lead late in the first-half with the only remarkable action of the half. According to sports portal, goalnepal.com, Nepal held the upper hand for most of the game but failed to find the Bangladesh net.
And Bangladesh made the hosts suffer in the 42nd minute, after Emily was fouled outside the box and winger Zahid Hossain exploited the chance with a fine free-kick.
Zahid, who was kept out of the SAFF Championship squad by Macedonian coach Nikola Ilievski, again came close to doubling the margin three minutes into the second half after beating the goalkeeper but he was finally denied by defender Robin Shrestha, who made a clearance off the line to deprive Zahid as well as Bangladesh.
Nepal intensified their efforts to get back into the game, but they were largely kept at bay by the Bangladeshi defence. It was unfortunate then, that it was debutant goalkeeper Maksudur Rahman Mustak, who gifted Nepal the equaliser in the 61st minute.
Mustak failed to properly grasp a Biraj Mahrajan cross and Bhola Silwal blasted home with a powerful left footer in the 61st minute to level the margin for the Himalayan nation. The goal spurred on the hosts and they launched attack after attack to steal a second goal.
But Bangladesh were playing on the counter, and with Abdul Baten Komol and Mithun Chowdhury on in place of Zahid Hossain and Emily respectively, they made some decent openings. The diminutive striker, Mithun, nearly found the back of the net with a tricky shot in the 82nd minute but the shot went inches over the cross-piece with the goalkeeper beaten. It was the last action of the game and in the end both sides had to be satisfied with an entertaining draw.
It was the second draw between two sides in their 17 meetings. Bangladesh have won nine times while Nepal won six times.
Bangladesh are scheduled to return home on Saturday.
-With The Daily Star input
