Dhaka, Nov 06 (V7N)- Bangladesh began their SAFF Championship 2026 campaign with a 1-0 victory over Bhutan at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Thursday, thanks to a second-half goal from substitute Mohammad Ibrahim.
The hosts dominated much of the first half and created several scoring opportunities but failed to find the net. Bishwanath Ghosh, deployed as an unconventional centre-forward, missed a number of chances as Bangladesh struggled to break through Bhutan's defence.
Bhutan looked to threaten on the counter-attack after the interval, but Bangladesh eventually broke the deadlock in the 69th minute.
Ibrahim, introduced as a substitute, scored from close range after Shamit Shome headed the ball into his path, sending the home supporters into celebration.
Bangladesh had suffered a setback before kick-off when captain Topu Barman was ruled out with an injury sustained during the warm-up. Jamal Bhuiyan took over the captaincy and led the team to victory.
The win gave Bangladesh three points and put them at the top of Group A after the opening fixture. Bhutan remain without a point, while Sri Lanka are yet to play.
Each team will play two group-stage matches, with the top two sides advancing to the semi-finals.
END/SMA/AJ
