Bangladesh indulged in a veritable goal-fest against Sri Lanka, humiliating the visitors by putting four past their net one after another. Sri Lanka simply could not withstand Bangladesh’s relentless attacks. Ultimately, securing a dominant 4-goal victory, Bangladesh confirmed their ticket to the semifinals. In short, the hosts truly spread some ‘Bangla Spice’ into the Lankan net on the day!
On Wednesday (November 11) night at the National Stadium, Bangladesh went on the attack right from the first minute. However, no one was there to collect Rakib’s cross inside the box. In the 4th minute, another cross from Rakib almost reached Hamza. But due to a block by Sri Lankan defender Steven, a goal-scoring opportunity was missed. Getting the rebound right outside the box, Rakib was fouled, earning Bangladesh a free kick. Hamza’s subsequent shot, however, failed to stay on target.
Bangladesh’s first goal arrived in the 8th minute. While trying to clear Hamza’s cross, Sri Lankan goalkeeper Sujan Perera made a mistake. The ball hit a defender and fell to Som, whose initial shot was blocked, but he found the net on the second attempt. That put Bangladesh ahead.
Even after the goal, Bangladesh’s attacking intensity did not drop. Rakib continuously created pressure on Sri Lanka’s defense down the right flank, delivering several good balls for his teammates, though Bangladesh failed to capitalize on them.
In the 26th minute, Bangladesh created another brilliant opportunity. Receiving a fantastic pass from Rakib, Hamza found himself with the ball, but a Sri Lankan defender stepped in before he could take a shot. Though he tried to score with a backheel afterward, he couldn’t get the ball into the net.
In the 38th minute, Sri Lanka got a good opportunity through a counter-attack. A brilliant cross from the right created a scoring chance, but no one was there to touch the ball.
Near the end of the first half, Hamza doubled the lead. In the 43rd minute, he received Ibrahim’s pass outside the box. Moving forward with tremendous pace, he left a Sri Lankan defender behind. His shot deflected off goalkeeper Sujan Perera’s body and found its way into the net. With Hamza’s brilliant goal, Bangladesh took a 2-0 lead. Bangladesh went into the break with a dominant performance and a two-goal advantage.
The hosts’ goal-fest did not stop after the break. From the start of the second half, Bangladesh stepped up the pressure on the visitors. Although they launched wave after wave of attacks creating several chances, the expected goal was elusive.
However, in the 53rd minute, Farhan Ali stunned everyone with an unbelievable individual brilliance to score a sensational goal!
Receiving the ball slightly outside the box, Farhan slowly drifted inward from the left flank, dribbling past three Sri Lankan defenders one by one. In front of his brilliant dribbling, the opponents could do nothing but stand as helpless spectators. Finally, with a neat finish, he put the ball in the net to get his name on the scoresheet. Even Hamza, standing right in front, had clear astonishment written all over his face!
After such a dazzling goal, the teammates’ celebration was worth watching. Sad Uddin and other players lifted Farhan onto their shoulders and broke into celebration.
Meanwhile, Rakib had been playing brilliantly since the start of the match. He delivered one great cross after another, though they hadn’t resulted in goals. Putting those frustrations behind, he finally found the back of the net himself near the end of the match.
With a wonderful chip over the goalkeeper’s head, he sent the ball into the net. With this exceptional finish in the 87th minute, the hosts’ goal tally reached four.
Earlier, in the 83rd minute, another opportunity to extend the lead was created when Suki unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box. However, Sri Lankan goalkeeper Sujan Perera brilliantly parried it away by diving to his left.
With this victory, Bangladesh has reached the semifinals as the champions of Group ‘A’, while Sri Lanka has exited the continental tournament. Additionally, Bhutan has secured a place in the last four as the runners-up.
Bangladesh’s opponent in the semifinals will be Group ‘B’ runners-up Pakistan. The two teams will face each other on November 14 at 8:00 PM. On the same day at noon, Group ‘B’ champions India will face Group ‘A’ runners-up Bhutan in the tournament’s first semifinal.
