Javier Cabrera’s team secured their first win of the qualifiers by protecting the goal they scored in the 12th minute.
The moment that sent a wave of joy through the crowd came right in the 12th minute. From midfield, Rakib laid off a pass to Sheikh Morsalin and then sprinted toward the box. Receiving the return pass, Morsalin calmly tapped the ball through goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s legs to send Bangladesh into the lead. From there, it became a battle to defend the advantage. Against a desperate Indian side, Bangladesh held on and finally celebrated their first victory in the qualifiers.
At the National Stadium on Tuesday, Bangladesh beat India 1–0 in the third-round return leg of the Asian Cup qualifiers.
This win brought Bangladesh more than just three points. The last time Bangladesh beat India was back in 2003 at the SAFF Championship, when goals from Rokonuzzaman Kanchan and Matiur Rahman Manna secured a 2–1 victory. After 22 long years, Morsalin brought back that forgotten taste for the supporters.
The team also broke free from the frustration of going winless in this campaign. Captain Jamal Bhuiyan, who didn’t get to play, still savored the indescribable joy of beating India from the bench.
With one win and two draws from five matches, Bangladesh sit third in Group C with 5 points. India remain at the bottom with just 2 points.
The match kicked off with a packed gallery, roaring supporters, raw excitement, and the weight of years of disappointment. Despite the electric atmosphere, Bangladesh—eager to beat India on home soil—started cautiously. Even with Canada-based midfielder Shamit Shome in the starting lineup, they struggled to take control of the midfield.
In the 3rd minute, Rakib Hossain’s weak volley was easily collected by Gurpreet, yet the crowd erupted anyway. Moments later, no one was there to latch onto Morsalin’s through ball. Both teams approached the early exchanges with caution.
Then came that brilliant 12th-minute goal that brought the crowd to life.
After playing the ball to Rakib, Morsalin surged forward, outrunning his marker to reach the box. Rakib could have taken the shot himself, but he chose to square the ball to the far side, where Morsalin finished with precision. The attacking midfielder, returning from injury, placed the ball perfectly into the net.
This was his seventh goal in the red and green shirt.
Kazi Tariq Raihan struggled from the start. Although he played on after taking a knock, discomfort forced Cabrera to replace him with Shakil Ahad Topu in the 26th minute.
In the 31st minute, Mitul Marma nearly handed India a goal with a careless mistake. After wandering too far from his post during a passing sequence, he lost the ball near the corner. It eventually fell to Lallianzuala Chhangte, whose shot Mitul had no chance of saving. Thankfully, Hamza cleared the effort off the line with a crucial header.
Tensions rose shortly after when a foul by Topu Barman sparked a scuffle between both teams. The referee issued yellow cards to Topu and Naravi Nikhil Prabhu.
Bangladesh almost doubled the lead in the 43rd minute. Hamza’s left-footed volley curled away just narrowly wide.
In the second half, India piled more pressure on the Bangladesh defense. Substitute Mahesh Singh’s volley drifted past the far post. Bangladesh focused on tightening their defensive structure, and England-based defensive midfielder Hamza remained an unwavering shield.
In the 65th minute, substitute forward Mohammad Sanan tried his luck from distance, but Mitul comfortably gathered the bouncing ball.
Six minutes later, Cabrera made a double substitution, replacing Jayan and Morsalin with Taj Uddin and Shahriar Emon. In the 79th minute, Shakil received the ball in a promising position, but his weak shot from just outside the box failed to trouble Gurpreet.
In the 81st minute, Emon’s cross from the byline found Fahim, whose header deflected off Sandesh Jhingan for a corner. Bangladesh appealed for a handball, thinking the ball struck the Indian captain’s arm, but the referee waved it away.
India launched a counterattack straight from that corner. One of their attackers went down after Shakil’s challenge right outside the box, but Philippine referee Clifford Daypuyat again refused to award a foul.
India pressed relentlessly in stoppage time, but Mitul remained alert. Bangladesh almost doubled their lead right before the final whistle when Fahim burst into the box from a Rakib through ball, only for a defender to block his shot.
Moments later, the final whistle blew.
The stadium erupted. The stands danced in unrestrained celebration, and the players—Hamza, Shamit, and the rest—embraced each other in pure joy.
Bangladesh, at long last, had their moment.
