2018 in Review: Top 10 matches of the year

he year 2018 was year of great football for the Bangladeshi fans. Almost all the national teams – from senior to u14 – showed just what they are capable of with some scintillating display of quality football throughout the year. Both the men’s and women’s teams registered some thumping victories over strong opponents. And in some matches, the Red and Greens were unlucky to see the result go against them when they clearly played better football than their rivals. Nevertheless, here are our Top 10 matches for you to relive. Enjoy! U15 girls beat Iran 8-1 Bangladesh National U15 Women’s Team registered a smashing win against Iran on March 31. The Bengal girls thrashed the middle-eastern outfit 8-1 in their second match of the Jockey CGI Youth Football Tournament 2018 in Hong Kong. The team’s prolific performance binned the fact that Iran sat 44 steps ahead of Bangladesh in the FIFA rankings at 58 whereas Bangladesh were ranked 102. The Red and Greens took only 25 seconds to open the score-sheet after the 9:30am (BDST) kick-off. Tohura Khatun netted the ball to give Bangladesh an early lead. Iran never looked like fighting back since conceding the early goal. After scoring the second in the 13th minute, Tohura completed her hat-trick in the 29thminute. Anai Mogini made it 4-0 in the 32nd minute. Shamsunnahar Jr. completed a five star first half performance by adding a fifth in the 45th minute. The Bengal girls kept their foot down even after the break. Shamsunnahar Jr. completed her hat-trick by netting in the 63rd and 69th minute before Anuching Mogini completed a 8-goal rout of Iran in the 77th minute. Iran, however, did manage to sneak in a consolation goal in the second minute of extra time. Bangladesh force Thailand to 1-1 draw Bangladesh forced Thailand to a 1-1 draw in second group stage match of Asian Games preliminary round at the Pakansari Stadium in Bogor on August 16. Mahbubur Rahman Sufil put the team ahead utilizing a long throw in the 52nd minute. However, Chaided pulled one goal back in the 80th minute for Thailand forcing Bangladesh to a 1-1 draw. Bangladesh produced a great performance to hold Thailand to a 1-1 draw to keep their hopes of advancing to the Round of 16 alive which they eventually did through a dramatic win against Qatar. Valiant U15 girls lose SAFF crown to India 1-0 Bangladesh U15 women’s national team lost the final of the SAFF U15 Women’s Championship 2018 to India, and luck, by the margin of a solitary goal. The Red and Greens played fantastic football right from the kick-off at the Changlimithang Stadium in Bhutanese capital Thimpu on August 18. However, lack of clinical finishing meant that the teams went into the break with the deadlock still intact. After the break, both the teams fought with all their might with India taking the lead from a short corner in the 66th minute through Sunita Munda. Hurt, the junior girls went at the Indians with all guns blazing but luck was not on their side as two brilliant efforts by the girls hit the woodwork. India held onto the slender lead with the skin of their teeth in the dying minutes of the game as the Red and Greens mounted on the pressure. However, it was not Bangladesh’s day as the referee blew the final whistle on 1-0 crowning India the 2018 winners over the very first and reigning champions of the competition – Bangladesh. Asian Games: BD through to Round of 16 beating Qatar 1-0 Bangladesh went through to the Round of 16 of the Asian Games 2018 after beating Qatar 1-0 in the final group game. Both sides played neck and neck with each other straight from the kick-off at Patriot Chandrabhaga Stadium in Bekasi, Indonesia on August 19. The Red and Greens dug deep and created problems for Qatar on the counter. However, no sides could score in regulation time. Then in the 3rd minute of added time, skipper Jamal Bhuiyan scored the winner from the left hand side of the box with a precise right footer. The final whistle recorded a historic win for Bangladesh as the last time the team beat Qatar was back in 1983. With the win, Bangladesh went through to the next round as group runners-up behind champions Uzbekistan who won all their games. U16 girls beat Vietnam 2-0 to confirm AFC second round Bangladesh U16 women’s national team beat Vietnam 2-0 in their last Group F match of the AFC U16 Women’s Championship 2019 qualifiers and confirmed ticket to the second round of the qualifiers. Goals from Tohura Khatun and Akhi Khatun helped the Red and Greens overcome Vietnam obstacle to claim unbeaten championship of Group F of the qualifiers. Both teams started with real intent in the final game of the group at the BSSSM Mostofa Kamal Stadium in Kamlapur, Dhaka on September 23. Vietnam proved to be tough opponent for the girls in Red and Green as expected but Choton’s girls dug deep to carve out the first goal. In the final minute of the first half, forward Tohura Khatun drew first blood for Bangladesh from a goalmouth melee at the Vietnam end. Maria and co. got the result of their persistence. After the break, Bangladesh pressed the Vietnamese harder to secure a two goal cushion. Sure enough, towering defender Akhi Khatun gave Bangladesh the much needed two goal lead in the 65th minute from a corner. SAFF: U18 girls dismantle Pakistan 17-0 Bangladesh U18 women’s team toyed with their Pakistani counterparts to register a thumping 17-0 victory in their opening match of the SAFF U18 Women’s Championship 2018. The win saw Bangladesh qualify for the semifinals of the maiden edition of the tournament as Pakistan crashed out with 2 losses from 2 games. The Bengal girls were clinical straight from the 7:00pm kick-off at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimpu, Bhutan on September 30. Marzia broke the deadlock in the 7th minute to open the floodgates. The Red and Greens went into the break 8-0 ahead. Bangladesh added 9 more goals in the second half to claim their biggest ever win of 17-0. Forward Mossammat Sirat Jahan Shopna scored 7 goals, Marzia scored 4, skipper Mossammat Mishrat Jahan Moushumi, towering defender Mossammat Akhi Khatun, Srimoti Krishna Rani Sarker and Tohura Khatun scored a goal each and Sheuli Azim scored 2 penalties. U15 boys toy with Maldives to register 9-0 win Bangladesh U15 national team stormed into the SAFF U15 Championship 2018 with a 9-0 victory of Maldives on October 27. Playing their first match of the group stage, the Red and Greens hit the ground running straight from the kick-off at the ANFA Complex in Kathmandu, Nepal. Prodigy Nihat Jaman Ucchash drew first blood for Mostofa Anowar Parvej’s boys in the 11th minute. Playing his debut international match, the promising forward completed his hattrick within just 12 minutes by scoring in the 20th and 23rd minute. Skipper Mohammad Mahedi Hasan scored in the first minute of added time after the first half to give Bangladesh a 4-0 lead going into the break. After the break, Bangladesh took to the pitch with even more hunger and in the very first minute, Ucchash scored Bangladesh’s 5th and his 4th goal. After merely a minute, Rasel Ahmed added the 6th for the Red and Greens. It was again Rasel who netted past the Maldivian goalee in the 66th minute to make it 7-0. Substitute Ashikur Rahman then came on to net two more in the 80th and 90+4th minute to hand Bangladesh a thumping 9-0 victory in the SAFF opener. U19 girls end AFC campaign with 5-1 rout of Tajikistan Bangladesh U19 women’s national team registered a victory in the final game of Group D of the AFC U19 Women’s Championship 2019 qualifiers. The U19 girls completed a 5-1 demolition of hosts Tajikistan on October 28. Determined to turn their record around, the Red and Greens started the match with intent and took them only 7 minutes to break the deadlock. Krishna Rani Sarkar scored past Tajik goalee Muatt in the 7th minute. Inspired, Monika Chakma went on to add two more in the first half in the 27th and 42nd minute. Khalimova Gulsunbi reduced the deficit in the 44th minute and the teams went into the break with Bangladesh leading 3-1. After the break, defender Shamsunnahar scored from the spot in the 60th minute and Monika Chakma completed her hattrick in the 75th minute. Despite being eliminated, the first win at such a level gave the whole team a lot of positives to build on in the future. SAFF U15: Bangladesh in final beating India Bangladesh U15 national team made it to the final of the SAFF U15 Championship 2018, Nepal after beating India in the first semi-final on November 1. The Red and Greens beat India 4-2 on penalties after the first semi-final had ended 1-1 at the ANFA Complex Ground in Kathmandu. The game started with high intensity and both the teams played attacking football. Bangladesh threatened to take the lead many a times but it was India who broke the deadlock in the 17th minute through Patre Harsh Shailesh. The Indian forward took a half chance from a long way out and the ball crept in under the crossbar catching goalkeeper Mededi Hasan by surprise. Bangladesh kept on knocking on the Indian backline time and again and finally got their reward in the dying minutes of the game. An Indian defender fouled a Bangladeshi forward in the box in the first minute of extra time at the end of second half resulting in a penalty for Bangladesh. Substitute midfielder Md Ashikur Rahman stepped up to the task and thumped the ball past the Indian goalee with great composure taking the match into penalties. India stepped up first but Bangladesh goalkeeper Mehedi Hasan thwarted their very first effort. Mehedi again denied India giving Bangladesh a significant advantage as Bangladesh had scored the first penalty; advantage Bangladesh 2-0. After that, both India and Bangladesh scored all their following penalties meaning Bangladesh came out as the winners beating India 4-2. U15 beat Pakistan on penalties in SAFF final Bangladesh U15 national team won the SAFF U15 Championship 2018 by beating Pakistan in the final in Kathmandu, Nepal on November 3. The Red and Greens beat Pakistan 3-2 on penalties after the match had ended 1-1 at the end of regulation time. Both the teams started the match strongly with Bangladesh creating more chances. The Bengal boys got rewards for their hard work in the 25th minute when Pakistan skipper Haseeb Ahmed Khan headed the ball into his own net from a fair distance away trying to clear a dangerous corner kick. The teams went into the break with Bangladesh leading 1-0. After the break, Pakistan threw all they had at Bangladesh and won a penalty in the 54th minute. Pakistan defender Mohib Ullah beat Bangladesh goalkeeper Mitul Marma by inches as he guessed right to dive to his left. Both the teams gave it their all over the rest of the half but failed to find a winner for their side. The match went to penalty shootout directly and goalkeeper Mehedi Hasan, subbed-in before the end of regulation time, once again emerged as Bangladesh’s saviour. Mehedi saved three of Pakistan’s 5 penalties to hand Bangladesh the coveted trophy. The U15 boys showed great determination, courage and self-belief to win back to back matches on penalties and win the SAFF trophy for their country.
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