Sabbir Hossain :Malaysia Football team emerged the champions of the Bangabandhu Gold Cup International Football Tournament when they earned a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Bangladesh National Football team in the final at the flood-lit Bangabandhu National Stadium on Sunday.Nazirul Naim, Kumaahran, Faizat of Malaysia scored one goal each while Ameli and Yeasin of Bangladesh netted one goal each. Malaysia led the first half 2-0. Bangladesh and Malaysia created almost same moves before the lemon-break but ill-fated Bangladesh conceded two goals before the intervals.Bangladesh got the first chance in the 14th minute when Ameli got the ball in the Malaysian danger zone from a long throw of Rayhan but Ameli’s header narrowly passed away the second bar.Nazirul Naim put his team ahead by a spectacular 30-yarder free-kick in the 31st minute of the play. Earlier, Faizat’s free-kick was fisted by Bangladesh goalie in the 20th minute of the match.Kumaarhan made it 2-0 by a placing shot using a short pass of his teammate Syazwan in the 41st minute of the game.Later, Rayhan’s forceful shot was gripped by Malaysian custodian Farhan in the 45th minute of the clash.After the intermission the total scenario was changed and Bangladesh made it almost one-sided affair. Rayhan’s long throw came to the way of Nasir Uddin but his header was deflected by the defender and Ameli pushed the ball into the blank net in the 48th minute.After five minutes Yeasin levelled the margin by a spectacular header capitalizing a Mamunul’s left footer corner kick. Komol and Ameli of Bangladesh came close to the goal in the 64th and 77th minutes respectively. But unfortunate Bangladesh conceded the match-decider against the way of the game when Faizat’s header found the net from a corner of his teammate Syazwan just before the long whistle in front of thirty thousand spectators at the big bowl.Thus Bangladesh had to satisfy with the runners-up trophy.
