Hosts Bangladesh dashed Sri Lanka’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals with a commanding 4-0 victory in the 15th SAFF Football Championship at the National Stadium in Dhaka under lights yesterday.
It was virtually one-way traffic as Bangladesh unleashed relentless pressure on the Lankan defence from the opening whistle, executing their game plan with precision and authority. Their two influential playmakers, Hamza Choudhary and Shamit Shome, proved a constant threat, orchestrating attacks and feeding the forwards with quality passes.
Bangladesh broke the deadlock in the eighth minute when Shamit Shome capitalised on another goalkeeping lapse by skipper Sujan Perera. Instead of collecting the ball cleanly, Perera opted to punch it away, allowing Shamit to unleash a powerful strike into the net.
The early breakthrough lifted the confidence of the hosts, who continued to dominate proceedings with a series of dangerous attacking moves. Their sustained pressure paid dividends when skipper Hamza Choudhary produced a stunning finish to double the lead before half-time.
Sri Lanka returned for the second half hoping to make amends, but Bangladesh remained firmly in control, denying the visitors any opportunity to stage a comeback. The hosts continued their relentless attacking approach and added two more goals through Farhan Ali Wahid and Rakin Hossain to complete a comprehensive 4-0 victory.
The emphatic triumph secured Bangladesh a place in Saturday’s semi-finals, while Sri Lanka were left to rue a disappointing campaign after failing to withstand the hosts’ attacking onslaught.