Bangladesh National Football team played to a 1-1 draw with holders Malaysia in their 2nd match of the Bangabandhu Gold Cup International Football Tournament at the floodlit Bangabandhu National Stadium here on Wednesday.
After a barren first half, Mohammed Hadin put Malaysia ahead in the 55th minute by a straight placing shot from the danger zone, utilising a right flank cross from Hasni Zaidi Zamian (1-0).
Substitute forward Mithun Chowdhury restored the parity for Bangladesh in the 77th minute. Mithun flicked the ball from the top of the six-yard box deceiving goalie, off a midfielder Zahid Hossain left footer cross from the left flank (1-1).
Bangladesh made two changes in their previous line-up, bringing in goalkeeper Rana in instead of Sohel and replacing Sohel Rana by midfielder Hemanta Vincent Biswas.
In the day’s crucial match, Bangladesh was lucky that the visitors’ defender Nor Fazly Alias’s 20-yard powerful shot from the top of the box hit the crosspiece and bounced back in the match in the 41st minute.
Malaysian captain Shukor Adan’s closed ranged header from the six-yard box was cleared by Bangladesh goalie Rana in the 33rd minute. Rana fisted the ball for a corner.
In the 20th minute, Zahid Hossain took a shot from right flank receiving a long pass from midfielder Jamal Bhuiyan, but Malaysian goalie Farizal Harun punched to clear the ball for a corner.
In the sixth minute, goalie Ashraful Islam Rana saved Bangladesh diving fully to fist the ball for a corner off a cut low cross of Malaysian midfielder Syahid Zaidon to the right post.
Referee whistled for the free kick for Malaysia as Bangladesh captain Mamunul Islam Mamun fouled with visitors’ midfielder Ahamed Syamim Yahya on top of the danger zone.
With this result, Bangladesh topped the group list by virtue of goal difference securing four points from two matches after their 4-2 victory over Sri Lanka while Nepal followed the leader with identical four points, also from two matches.
On the other hand, Malaysia played out two successive draw in the tournament as they played 1-1 draw against Nepal in their first match and was placed third in the group with two points.
In their last group match on Friday, Bangladesh will face Nepal while defending champions Malaysia encounter Sri Lanka, both at the BNS.
Man of the match: Ashraful Islam Rana (Bangladesh goalie).
Bangladesh team: Ashraful Islam Rana, Nasirul Islam Nasir, Waly Faisal Jamal Bhuiyan, Yeasin Khan, Zahid Hossain, Mamunul Islam Mamun, Hemonta Vinsent Biswas (Mithun Chowdhury), Nasir Uddin, Nabib Newaj Ziban and Shakhawat Hossain Rony.
Malaysian team: Abdul Shukur Jusoh, Bobby Gonzales, Ahamed Syamim Yahya, Shukor Adan, Nor Fazly Alias, Aizulridzwan Razali, Syahid Zaidon, Muhammad Hadin, Hasni Zaidi Jamian, Sivanesan Shanmugam and Mohd Farizal Harun.
