Dhaka, June 11 (V7N) — Bangladesh’s hopes of securing a crucial home win in the Asian Cup qualifiers were dashed on Tuesday night as they suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Singapore in front of a packed National Stadium crowd in Dhaka.

Despite a spirited display and strong support from the home fans, Bangladesh couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities as Singapore clinched victory through goals from midfielder Song Wong and forward Ikhsan Fandi. Rakib Hossain scored the lone goal for Bangladesh.

The match, which kicked off at 7 PM, saw both teams locked in a tense, evenly contested battle filled with attacking exchanges and counterattacks. Bangladesh held their own for much of the first half, frustrating the visitors and creating several scoring chances, but it was Singapore who struck first.

Singapore’s breakthrough came just before halftime. In the 45th minute, after a long throw-in from Harris Stewart was partially cleared by Bangladesh goalkeeper Mitul Marma, the rebound fell to Hariss Harun, who volleyed it into the net with his right foot to give Singapore a 1-0 lead at the break.

Singapore doubled their advantage in the 59th minute when Fandi pounced on a rebound after Mitul saved Hami Saihan’s initial shot, making it 2-0.

Bangladesh refused to surrender. In the 66th minute, Rakib Hossain sparked hope for the home side with a superb finish after receiving a precise through ball from Hamza. The goal sent the 21,000-strong crowd into raptures and gave Bangladesh a lifeline.

Head coach Javier Cabrera made tactical changes in an attempt to salvage the game, bringing on Al-Amin and Morsalin in the 73rd minute to inject fresh energy into the attack. Bangladesh piled on the pressure in the final stages, earning several corners and near-misses. In the dying moments of stoppage time, Tariq Kazi’s header from a Morsalin corner narrowly missed the target, ending Bangladesh’s hopes of an equalizer.

With this win, Singapore climbed to the top of Group C with four points, while Hong Kong, who defeated India 1-0 earlier in the day, also sit on four points. Bangladesh, unfortunately, remain winless against Singapore in their three meetings at the international level.

Although the defeat was disappointing, Bangladesh’s performance showed glimpses of promise, particularly through the efforts of rising talents like Hamza Shamit, Fahmidul, and Rakib. The enthusiastic turnout of spectators and the fighting spirit displayed by the team have sparked hope for a brighter future in Bangladeshi football.

END/MSS/AJ