Bangladesh bow out of the Asian Cup

Photo: Collected

Sports Desk: The Asian Cup qualifiers ended on a disappointing note for Bangladesh. In their final match in Singapore, the red-and-green representatives lost 1-0. With just 5 points from six matches, their Asian Cup campaign has come to an end.
Singapore had already secured a place in the main round from Group ‘C’, so this match was largely a formality. However, playing at home, they aimed for a win. After scoring one goal in the first half, they didn’t take many risks in the second half.
Although Bangladesh couldn’t score, they outperformed Singapore in on-target shots. In the 78th minute, they came close to equalizing—Sadd Uddin’s touch on Hamza’s cross hit the post and bounced back. In the second half, coach Javier Cabrera brought in Rahmat Miah and a few others as substitutes to boost the attack, but no goal came.
Meanwhile, Singapore also had some good chances in the second half. The only goal of the match came in the 31st minute, when a defensive mistake by Bangladesh allowed Singapore to take the lead. Despite controlling possession and attacking in the early stages of the first half, Bangladesh conceded a goal on the counter-attack.