Bangladesh falls to 1-0 defeat against Maldives

Bangladesh endured a frustrating start to their current FIFA window as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to the Maldives on Wednesday at the Bashundhara Kings Arena.

Despite dominating possession and creating several promising opportunities, poor finishing proved costly for the hosts, who were unable to capitalize on their attacks.

The only goal of the match came in the 16th minute, when Maldives’ Ali Fasir scored with a header from a free-kick, leaving Bangladesh with little time to recover.

Bangladesh started the match on the front foot, pressing the Maldives’ defense with a series of attacks led by forwards Morsalin and Rakib. They repeatedly made runs into the opposition’s box but struggled with their finishing. Morsalin, in particular, missed several chances, including a weak shot in the 77th minute that was easily saved by Maldives goalkeeper Hussein Sharif. He had another opportunity in the 85th minute but again failed to convert.

In the first half, Bangladesh came close to an equalizer with Sohel Rana’s brilliant left-footed strike from outside the box in the 43rd minute, but the ball struck the post. Moments later, Jonny’s attempt was blocked by Sharif. Despite these flashes of quality, Bangladesh failed to break the deadlock.

Meanwhile, the Maldives looked dangerous throughout the match. They capitalized on Bangladesh’s defensive lapse in the 16th minute, when Ali Fasir’s header from a free-kick beat goalkeeper Mitul Marmar to give the visitors the lead.

Bangladesh continued to press for an equalizer, creating numerous chances, but their finishing let them down. Rakib’s missed opportunity in the 33rd minute and a free-kick just before the break from Morsalin to captain Tapu, which sailed just wide, were further missed chances.

The second half saw Bangladesh piling on the pressure, but they couldn’t break through the Maldives’ defense. Despite an additional seven minutes of stoppage time, the hosts could not find a way past Sharif, and the match ended in a disappointing 1-0 loss.

The defeat left Bangladesh frustrated, having dominated the game but ultimately paid the price for their missed opportunities.