Bangladesh midfielder Hamza Chowdhury expressed his disappointment after the national team narrowly missed victory in their AFC Asian Cup qualifying match against Singapore.
Despite repeated attacks in the second half that pressured Singapore’s defence, Bangladesh conceded a single goal, leaving the match with a 1-0 defeat. Hamza had the chance to score and could have contributed an assist, but the goal was denied by the post. Reflecting on the campaign, Hamza wrote on his official Facebook page: “Not the way we wanted to close out the group! But so proud of how far we’ve come in a year. We’ve got so much to look forward to, InshAllah. The support, as always, was unbelievable.”
Hamza made his debut for Bangladesh in the 2025 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against India. Even in a 0-0 draw, he quickly stood out, becoming a central figure for the team and drawing crowds both at Dhaka’s national stadium and abroad.
After the Singapore match, his visible exhaustion symbolised the team’s efforts and determination. Despite the setback, Hamza remained grateful for fan support.
Around 6,000 Bangladesh fans attended the match in Singapore, cheering the team and setting an inspiring example by cleaning up stadium debris afterwards. Singaporean media outlet Central News Asia (CNA) shared a 22-second video showing fans in Bangladesh jerseys collecting bottles and trash, captioned: “Bangladeshi football supporters cleaning up the national stadium after the Singapore-Bangladesh match.”
Singapore topped Group C in the qualifiers with 14 points from six matches, advancing to the main tournament. Bangladesh, India, and Hong Kong finished with 8, 5, and 5 points respectively. Bangladesh edged India on goal difference, having defeated them 1-0 last November.
