Hemanta shoots hosts into semis

Bangladesh midfielder Hemanta Biswas lets loose a first-time volley that finds the back of the Sri Lanka net amidst deafening roars from the stands at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

The Bangladesh team is already starting for the Bangabandhu National Stadium to change their fledging fortunes. This is the venue where they had won their last competitive match against Lebanon 2-0 during a pre-World Cup qualifier in 2011. Since then they never played a competitive match at this venue, except for a friendly against Japan U-21 team two months ago.

So if they needed inspiration -- and they needed all of it after a morale-shattering 0-1 defeat against Malaysia in the opening fixture of the Bangabandhu Gold Cup in Sylhet -- it was here at the BNS that they could turn to. And they were not disappointed, and they did not disappoint the 12,000 people in attendance at the Big Bowl and the millions of fans across the country. A wonderful volley from the edge of the box by teenage midfielder Hemanta Vincent Biswas in the 40th minute of the match gave the Red and Greens a relieving victory and set up Friday's semifinal clash against the winners of Group B to be decided today.

There were a few nervous moments for the hosts, who needed only a draw to qualify, as goalkeeper Shahidul Alam Sohel needlessly gifted a penalty kick to the opposition. But the 23-year-old keeper redeemed himself by making a one-handed save to deny Sri Lanka any opportunity of causing an upset.

Bangladesh coach Lodewijk de Kruif, much maligned for his choice of personnel in the Malaysia defeat, made two changes to the starting eleven. Goalkeeper Rasel Mahmud Liton, whose loopholes in the 'sweeper-keeper' role were cruelly exposed by the Malaysians, made way for the first time in eight months to the tall Sohel. Centre-back Nasiruddin Chowdhury replaced injured Atiqur Rahman Meshu, but veteran striker Zahid Hasan Emily kept his place despite failing to capitalise on a number of goal-scoring opportunities in the opening match.

The biggest surprise though came at the other end, as Sri Lanka's set-piece specialist Nalaka Roshan was left on the bench due to a niggling injury.

However, the absence of Roshan made little difference as Bangladesh enjoyed the lion's share of possession in the first half, with Zahid Hossain and Sohel Rana wreaking havoc down the flanks while Jamal Bhuiyan, who was later dubbed as the best central midfielder of South Asia, put in a stellar performance in the middle, distributing the ball with assurance and making sure the jangling nerves around him didn't cause the team any trouble.

Still, Bangladesh had to wait for a sublime Hemanta volley to break the deadlock.

The sturdy lad from Dinajpur showed all of his technique as he found the corner of the net after Emily chested down Zahid's looping cross just in front of the box. The powerful shot, hit with inch-perfect accuracy, screamed past Sri Lanka goalie Sujan Perera's outstretched hands and sent the big bowl into raptures.

Goalkeeper Sohel felled LK Ishan just inside the box in the second half and Roshan, who had come in at the start of the second half, stepped up and chose to shoot down the middle. Sohel parried with one hand, before easily gripping the rebound.

Bangladesh kept creating chances at the other end, and if it was not for a goalline clearance by defender Tharindu Eranga and a valiant save by Perera, Hemanta could have bagged a hat-trick by the 87th minute. But by then, Bangladesh had ensured there was no upset on the cards.