India suffered their first defeat against Bangladesh in 22 years, going down 0-1 to the home side in an inconsequential Group C match of the Asian Cup qualifying round match in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Sheikh Morsalin scored the all-important goal for Bangladesh in the 11th minute to the wild cheer of the capacity crowd at the National Stadium. The match, though, had been rendered inconsequential as both the sides were out of contention of the 2027 continental showpiece.
India got a golden scoring chance in the 31st minute but Lallianzuala Chhangte's right-footed shot from the top of the box after Bangladesh goalkeeper Mitul Marma was completely out of position was headed away by Hamza Choudhury.
There was an instance of pushing and shoving among some players of the two teams near the touch line in the first half but the referee brought it under control.
India's last defeat against Bangladesh was during the 2003 SAFF Gold Cup, where the latter had prevailed 2-1 at the same venue in Dhaka. Since then, the two sides had faced each other in nine matches before Tuesday, and India had won three times while six were drawn affairs.
India's campaign for the 2027 Asian Cup had effectively ended on October 14, when they squandered a 1-0 lead to lose 1-2 to Singapore in Margao, Goa.
By virtue of the defeat, a winless India remained rooted at the bottom of the four-team table with just two points from five matches. This was their third loss in the third round of the qualifiers. The other two matches were drawn affairs.
After the win, Bangladesh, who notched their first win in five matches, remained on third with five points.
The first leg match between the two sides had ended in a goal-less draw on March 25 in Shillong.
Singapore, who defeated Hong Kong 2-1 earlier in the day in Hong Kong, sealed the top spot in Group C with 11 points and qualified for the 2027 Asian Cup. Hong Kong are in second place with eight points.
India are currently ranked 136th in the FIFA chart while Bangladesh are at 183rd. India play their last match of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers against Hong Kong at home on March 31, 2026.
Lallianzuala Chhangte played his 50th international match on Tuesday, while India head coach Khalid Jamil handed debuts to Mohammed Sanan and Lalremtluanga Fanai, bringing the two on from the bench.
After conceding the goal in the first half, the Blue Tigers mounted a barrage of attacks on Bangladesh in the second half. They came out with more intent in the second session, as Jamil introduced Mahesh Singh Naorem in place of Nikhil Prabhu. The substitution brought immediate impact, with Mahesh using his creativity to trouble the Bangladesh defence.
Suresh whipped a free-kick from the left into the box, which was headed goalwards by Rahul Bheke, with Rahim Ali waiting at the goalmouth to turn it in. However, Bangladesh’s defenders managed to clear the danger.
The introduction of Sanan created further opportunities for India, as the winger used his trickery and awareness on the left flank. Receiving a pass from Rahim in the 66th minute, Sanan dummied his marker to cut inside and shoot, but his effort was saved. A minute later, the winger hung a beautiful cross from the left towards an unmarked Brison Fernandes, who headed wide.
Amid the Indian attacks, Bangladesh looked to create a few counters of their own and came close to doubling their lead in the 79th minute when Topu Barman’s strike from outside the box was collected by a diving Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.
Despite a frantic finish, the Bangladesh defence held firm to secure the three points against the Blue Tigers.
The match-day squad did not feature Australia-born forward Ryan Williams, who recently obtained an Indian passport. He had travelled with the team as part of the 23 players. He has received the NOC from Football Australia but is yet to get clearance from the FIFA for registration.
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