Over a dozen goals!
Bangladesh Under-23 Football team conceded 13 goals in three matches and scored just one in the qualification round of the AFC Under-23 Championship 2018 to be held in China. About the team’s such dismal performance and the hibernating Bangladesh Football Federation, it is needless to make any comment. We don’t know when and how the federation officials will rise.
Contrarily, Palestine, where its population hear Israeli gunshot every moment, became Group E Champions with seven points displaying amazing skills, while pre-tournament favourites Jordan finished one point behind.
The other team was Tajikistan. Surely there are lessons for the Bangladeshi footballers in Palestine’s wonderful art of soccer.
The qualifiers in the final round are Oman, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Syria, Uzbekistan, UAE, Palestine, Jordan, Australia, North Korea, South Korea, Vietnam, China, Japan, Myanmar, Malaysia and Thailand. The surprise omission is Iran for very poor show.
On Wednesday night, former international footballer Kaiser Hamid claimed football as a more popular sports in the rural Bangladesh. I do agree with him because football matches in the rural areas are watched by a large crowd. But that is not enough for blitzkrieg result, rather good planning.
Abdullah Akber
Dhaka
