Under-16 boys go down fighting
Bangladesh under-16 team produced a spirited performance against Yemen in the AFC U-16 Championship Qualifiers before going down 0-2 in their first match of Group E at the Grand Hamad Stadium in Doha yesterday.
Anwar Parvez Babu's charges created quite a few chances to score, but conceded the goals against the run of play. Yemen, who had come into the match on the back of a 6-1 thrashing of Qatar in the opening match, sealed a spot from this three-team group for next year's final round.
Bangladesh will take on hosts Qatar to settle the second spot of the group. Ten group champions and five best runners-up teams will play in the final round alongside hosts India next year.
Even though Yemen enjoyed better possession, Bangladesh made the more threatening attacks in the opening half, but Yemeni goalkeeper made two brilliant saves against forwards Miraj Mollah and Faisal Ahmed Fahim to keep Bangladesh at bay.
Bangladesh conceded the lead four minutes into first half's stoppage time when Sanowar Hossain unnecessarily brought down a Yemeni forward inside the box. Sultan Yousuf Thabit converted the spot kick with aplomb.
As Bangladesh pressed hard for the equaliser, Yemen hit on counter-attack three minutes into the five minute of added time of the second half. The Bangladeshi defenders lost possession of the ball at the centre of midfield and paid dearly as before Osama Samer placed the ball the far post from the left-hand side of the box to wrap up the victory.
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