AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers India vs Bangladesh
Sunil Chhetri‘s comeback and Hamza Choudhary’s debut’s for the Bangladesh National team were annulled by the lack of quality in the final 3rd by both the teams.
India and Bangladesh played out a goalless draw at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at Shillong.
India vs Bangladesh How the match started
The match started with loud cheers for the Blue Tigers team and boos for the Bangladesh team. Fans were excited to see their Captain India back but the coach had decided to keep the responsibilities to the usual captain, Sandesh Jhingan.
The match started with a equal amount of possession till the 10-15 minutes of play but Bangladesh bagged more chances out of the two. They could have scored 2 goals in that period but failed to capitalise on Vishal Kaith’s mistake who was riding his luck today. The goalkeeper gave a cheap ball away when he was trying to release a forward early with a long ball but could only find the opposition player which had him in trouble. Thanks to Rahul Bheke who was at the right place and put in a crucial stop.
After the 15 minute mark, The Blue Tigers also started getting chances but without any good chances, both the teams went into tunnels for the half-time team talk.
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India dominated the play in the 2nd Half
After the half, India dominated the play but the story remained the same as both the keepers were unbothered for the most part of the match. Lack of quality upfront was evident as both side forwards refused to put the ball into the net. India’s Liston Colaco had many darting runs from the left hand side but usually found himself alone when attacking with intent. Bangladesh’s wingers also did a good job in stretching the play with serious speed but just couldn’t find the final product.
The “premier league” player for Bangladesh was highly ineffective in the game as the Indian midfield kept a check on him and wasn’t allowed to see much of the ball.
The injury to Topu Barman ( captain of Bangladesh) turned the tide towards the hosts as they slowly but surely found their footing and created a few chances of their own.
What’s next for India
It was a disappointment for the Indian football team as it played out a goalless draw against Bangladesh in the first game of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers. This is the first-ever goalless draw between India and Bangladesh since 1999. India gets +1 but it’s an opportunity lost to lead the table and get +3.
The teams will meet again on November 18 in Bangladesh. India’s subsequent qualifying fixture is scheduled against Hong Kong on June 10 in Kowloon.
