Poor football performance by South Asians
In the World Cup Football 2018 and the Asian Cup Football 2019 qualifying rounds, the South Asian countries namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Maldives cut a very sorry figure.
In the second round, Bangladesh in Group ‘B’, earned just one point in five matches, scored two goals only and conceded 15 goals; Maldives in Group ‘C’ secured three points in as many matches, scored four goals and conceded 13; pointless Bhutan in the same group scored three goals and conceded 33, while India in Group ‘D’ with no point in their account so far, netted three goals and conceded 12 goals in five matches. Each of them will play three more matches.
The other South Asian countries namely Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan were eliminated in the first round showing dismal performance.
South Asia Champions Afghanistan, now a member of the Central Asia, too produced very poor performance. They bagged three points, nodded home just three goals and conceded 18 in five matches in Group E.
It means that no South Asian nation will sail into the third round. What I think is that the Asian Football Confederation should arrange a quota system so that at least one South Asian nation can take part in the final round of the Asian Cup Football henceforth. Will the AFC consider our suggestion?
Abdur Rahman
Dhaka
