Bangladesh under-16 booters squandered chance after chance as they went down to Chinese Taipei 1-2 at the Pannad Stadium yesterday to bow out of the AFC U 16 Championship Qualifiers.
Bangladesh were the better side on the field with little to show for it. They had the first opportunity on the 14th minute when Sifat found an open goal only to put his shot wide. And that missed opportunity cost them dearly as Tsai hung Wei found himself unmarked in the D box on the 19th minute and slotted home to put his team in front.
Falling behind, Bangladesh went in to all-out attack and on the 35th minute Nasir got one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper, yet failed to score. In the second half, Bangladesh pressed hard for an equaliser. Bangladesh midfielders took grip of the game and they were eventually rewarded when in the 80th minute a cross from Anik Bormon, parried by the Taipei goal-keeper, found Sohel's head and they drew level. Bangladesh kept on surging after that goal. But on the 83rd minute against run of play, Lee Meng Che got a free ball in the Bangladesh box and scored to make it 2-1. Bangladesh kept searching for another equaliser, but that wasn't to come.
A dejected coach B A Zubair Nipu said “ We played the match very well. But suddenly we lost the grip of the match. Players gave their full effort. We missed so many chances and that's why the result was not in our favour".
Bangladesh finished fourth among five teams from the group with four points.