Take on Afghanistan in final on Monday
Bangladesh overcame a gritty challenge from perennial rivals India to record a 1-0 win in the men's football semifinals of the 11th South Asian Games under lights at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.
They will take on Afghanistan, who beat Maldives also by a solitary goal scored by Belal Arezou in the 72nd minute in the second semifinal, in the final at the same venue on Monday.
A poacher's job from substitute Tawhidul Alam Sabuz in the 85-minute made the difference that paved the way for the football-lorn nation to reach the gold-medal match after a long gap of eleven years.
The first half was evenly played by the two sides with none taking any assertive control over the game. From the beginning, Bangladesh tried to penetrate the Indian defence using the flanks but failed to do so against a solid backline which was backed up by a tall keeper in Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Moreover, the tall Indian defenders made Bangladesh's work harder to get any aerial advantage inside the box. The Indians on the other hand seemed content with their counterattacking game, and tried to catch the Bangladesh defence off guard with sudden counterattacks.
Chances were few and far between for either side.
In the ninth minute, Zahid Hasan Ameli unleashed a fierce left-footer from the left side of the box which was brilliantly parried away by keeper Sandhu for corner.
Five minutes later, Mohammad Yousuf headed one wide of the target from an acute angle. Bangladesh's experienced custodian Aminul Haque gave a scary moment to his side on the half-hour mark as he failed to judge the bounce of the ball. The ball was heading for goal, but defender Rezaul Karim got back in time before an Indian striker to save the day for Bangladesh.
Just before the break, Mamun let fly a fierce left-footer more out of desperation, but it found the advertising board instead of the net.
Then India's Lalrindika Ralte took a swerving left-footed 35-yard freekick from the right side that was heading for the goal and Aminul had to take a few steps backward before jumping to punch it away for a corner.
Bangladesh coach Zoran Djordjevic made a few changes in the second half. He took off Enamul and Shakil early to bring on fresh legs of Mithun and Sabuz. The velocity of attack went up a few notches. The Indians were pressed inside their own half.
Bangladesh came mighty close to scoring the opener in the 67th minute when Mithun Chowdhury floated in a dangerous cross after getting the ball from Wali Faisal for a darting Yousuf inside the box. Yousuf put a firm header on it and with the goalkeeper beaten, Yousuf was only denied by the upright.
Djordjevic made another change when he brought on Abdul Baten Mojumder for Ameli. And that change seemed to work wonders. The two substitutes Mojumder and Sabuz combined to give Bangladesh their precious goal. Being on the field for hardly two minutes, Mojumder took a ferocious grounder from outside the box that was half stopped by Sandhu.
Sabuz was lurking inside the box and had the easiest job of poking the ball into the empty net. Bangladesh got their long-craven goal and the most important in recent times. There were only five minutes left after the goal for India to find an equaliser. But it was the hosts who dominated the remainder of the game and came out deserved winners.
Bangladesh qualified for the final of the regional showpiece event after long 11 years and it couldn't have been any sweeter if the opponents were any team but India. The players went on a long and richly deserved lap round the athletic track to the cheers of the 20,000-strong crowd.