At the break at the National Stadium in Dhaka, it’s the hosts who lead by a single goal, with Hamza Choudhury making an immediate impact on his home debut for Bangladesh. The Loughborough-born midfielder, who switched allegiance from England last year, opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a towering header to give the men in red and green a deserved lead over Bhutan in this international friendly.
The goal came from a textbook set-piece routine. Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuiyan, ever the orchestrator in midfield, delivered a sumptuous corner from the right-hand side. Choudhury, arriving late into the box, rose highest and met the cross with a thumping header that left the Bhutanese goalkeeper rooted to the spot. It was a dream start for the home side and a fitting moment for Choudhury, who was playing in front of a raucous Dhaka crowd for the first time since his high-profile switch.
Bangladesh continued to press in the opening stages, with winger Rakib Hossain causing problems down the flank and striker Matin Mia testing the goalkeeper with a curling effort midway through the half. Bhutan, to their credit, gradually grew into the game, enjoying some possession in the latter stages of the half, but without creating any clear-cut chances.
The home defence, marshalled by Topu Barman and Tariq Kazi, remained largely untroubled, and goalkeeper Anisur Rahman hasn’t yet been called into serious action.
As the teams head into the dressing rooms, Bangladesh will be pleased with their early dominance and the lively atmosphere inside the stadium. Bhutan, meanwhile, will need to step up their attacking intent if they are to find a way back into the contest in the second half.