Bangladesh football in 2018
I am used to watch sports programme, particularly soccer, almost everyday on the television channel. What appears to me that those programme stress more on conjecture that facts and figure. As for example, our Under-23 team took part in the Asian Games Football discipline this year and succeeded to sail into the quarterfinals, despite winning just one match out of three. Of the remaining two, Bangladesh drew one and lost the other. The goal difference was -2. The quarterfinal result was Bangladesh 1, North Korea 3. In this tournament, Bangladesh played four matches, won one only, drew one and lost two.
In the SAF Football Championship 2018 at home, Bangladesh failed to reach the last four in spite of earning equal points in three matches. They won two and lost one to make exit due to inferior goal difference. The sad part is that the team’s coach had no strategic plan about their last match with Nepal before losing 0-2, when just one point was enough. From Group A, Nepal and Pakistan qualified for semifinals. Or if it is that the coach explained his plan to the footballers, but was of no use, then it should be said that the footballers were not convicted to win, as do the Chinese footballers often, according to the soccer experts. The hosts played three, won two and lost one.
Finally, Bangladesh displayed their third successive soccer abortion on Wednesday having lost to Palestine 0-2 in the 5th edition of the Bangabandhu International Football Tournament at Cox’s Bazar. In this tournament, the hosts played three matches, won one and lost two.
In the three international tournaments, of them, two at home; Bangladesh played 10 matches, won four, drew one and lost five. Our question is when shall we be able to shine in football?
Abdullah Akber
Dhaka
