Bangladesh have edged the Maldives 2-1 in a tight contest to triumph over their South Asian rivals after 18 years.
Defender Topu Barman sent a spotkick home in the dying minutes of the game to end Bangladesh’s winless spell against the islanders in the four nations’ Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksha Trophy in Colombo on Saturday.
The win was Bangladesh’s first in the tournament after squandering a lead in the opener against Seychelles for a 1-1 draw, reports bdnews24.com.
Jamal Bhuyan of Bangladesh broke the deadlock in the 12th minute from a throw, calmly tapping in a loose ball at the far post.
The Maldives fought back when Mohamed Umair levelled from a corner and the teams stayed locked at 1-1 at the break.
In the second half, both teams lacked edge in the final third. After a 59th-minute cross was intervened, Bangladesh forward Mahbubur Rahman Sufil fired one past the Maldives goalie 16 minutes later, only to have it disallowed for offside.
Sufil persistently stayed on the Maldives defenders’ heels and pierced the defence for a pass to Mohammad Jewel in the box, but he was fouled by the goalie for a penalty which decided the game.
Bangladesh’s last win over the Maldives came in the SAFF Championship in 2003 in a tie-breaker. The men in red and green have lost all four encounters with the islanders since then, including a 2-0 tie-breaker defeat in the SAFF tournament in October last year.
Bangladesh’s win on Saturday came on the back of a four-match winless run which began after a win over Sri Lanka in the SAFF Championship.
With four points in two games, Bangladesh will now take on hosts Sri Lanka for a place in the final.