All hype, no goals as Bangladesh U-20s’ AFC hopes fade
Bangladesh’s hopes of reaching the AFC U-20 Asian Cup finals are all but over after they suffered a 3-0 defeat to Syria in their second Group B qualifier at the Do’stlik Stadium in Tashkent on Thursday.
The defeat leaves Bangladesh with no margin for error against India in their final match, while their qualification hopes also depend on results elsewhere. They must beat India and hope Uzbekistan defeat both India and Syria. Syria had earlier lost 1-0 to India.
The top eight group winners and seven best runners-up will advance to the Asian Cup finals.
It is a disappointing position for a side that arrived in Uzbekistan with considerable optimism after winning the SAFF U-20 Championship earlier this year.
Bangladesh spent July and August in a training camp in Jashore under English head coach Gerard Jones, while five players of overseas origin were introduced to the squad. The preparations were aimed at building on their regional success and ending a 24-year wait for an appearance in the AFC U-20 Asian Cup, dating back to 2002.
Instead, the build-up was disrupted just days before departure when Jones and assistant coach Atiqur Rahman Meshu were reportedly involved in a scuffle. The unease was compounded by a bizarre pre-departure press conference at which neither the coaching staff nor any player appeared.
That uncertainty has carried into the tournament.
Bangladesh opened with a 2-0 defeat to hosts Uzbekistan on Monday, failing to register a shot on target as the 2023 champions dominated for long periods. Goalkeeper Raj Chowdhury stood out with several saves, while overseas-based defender Zidane Yousuf offered one of the few positives.
Jones made seven changes for Thursday’s meeting with Syria, handing overseas-based forward Adam Abbas a starting berth, but the reshuffle did little to alter Bangladesh’s fortunes.
Syria created the first clear opening in the 16th minute when forward Majed Almeri cut the ball back to Abdullah Alnajar, whose shot was stopped by Chowdhury. Alnajar then missed a one-on-one chance in the 24th minute, dragging his effort wide.
Bangladesh offered little going forward. Captain Abdul Riyad Fahim failed to connect with a cross from fellow defender Sheikh Sangram in the 30th minute before sending a 30-yard effort off target four minutes later.
Syria remained the more dangerous side, with Almeri shooting over from inside the box in the 41st minute.
The breakthrough came in the 44th minute when a long ball caught the Bangladesh defence out. Alnajar laid it back to midfielder Alan Mamo, who slotted a low shot past Chowdhury.
Syria doubled their advantage in first-half added time. Marios Praxitelous Alherek capitalised on an errant Bangladesh pass in the lower-midfield region and drove a low shot into the net from just outside the box.
Chowdhury kept Bangladesh in the contest after the restart, tipping Almeri’s 59th-minute free-kick over the crossbar and denying substitute forward Alhassan Hassan from close range in the 80th.
There was, however, no reprieve for Jones’s side.
Syria added a third in the 89th minute through Alnajar, who caught the Bangladesh defence off guard with an inventive low free-kick from around 25 yards in the middle of the pitch. Bangladesh’s first line of defence jumped but failed to make contact, allowing the ball to reach the six-yard area. Substitute Abdulrahman Al Sarraj attempted a backheel flick but apparently failed to alter its path, and the ball went through Chowdhury’s legs and into the net.
Two matches into the qualifiers, Bangladesh have conceded five goals without scoring and now face the prospect of an early exit -- a stark outcome for a side that arrived in Uzbekistan on the back of a regional title, an extended training camp and considerable optimism.
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