In one of the most dramatic nights at the Dhaka National Stadium, Bangladesh suffered a heartbreaking 4-3 defeat to Hong Kong, China in their AFC Asian Cup Qualifier, conceding in the final seconds after fighting back from two goals down.
A packed and passionate home crowd created a feverish atmosphere as Javier Cabrera’s side showed courage and quality but were undone by costly defensive errors and missed chances.
Bangladesh began brightly, refusing to play like underdogs. The hosts struck first in the 13th minute through Hamza Choudhury, who curled a clever free-kick into the near post after Foysal Ahmed Fahim was fouled. The Leicester City midfielder then took command of the game, dropping deep between Shakil Ahad Topu and Tariq Kazi to orchestrate attacks, spreading long passes and dictating the tempo from midfield.
Cabrera’s men looked fluid, alternating between 4-3-3, 5-3-2 and 4-4-2, as they pushed for control. But defensive lapses soon proved costly. Everton Camargo, Hong Kong’s danger man, levelled the score after a misjudged header from Fahim allowed him to strike home from a corner.
The visitors went ahead early in the second half following another mistake Sohel Rana Jr.’s misplaced pass fell straight to substitute Raphael Merkies, who made no mistake on 50th minute. Merkies then struck again in the 74th minute after Camargo nutmegged Saad Uddin and set him up, while Shakil Ahad Topu’s appeal for a foul was waved away.
Cabrera reacted when he realised the squad selection hit him badly so tried to shift momentum by bringing on Shamit Shome, Jamal Bhuyan and Fahamedul, replacing Sohel Rana, Sohel Rana Jr. and Fahim in a desperate attempt to turn things around. The changes briefly ignited Bangladesh. In the 84th minute, Jamal’s well-floated free-kick found Fahamedul, whose touch forced goalkeeper Yapp Hung Fai into a costly spill, allowing Sheikh Morsalin to score and make it 3-2.
The home side kept pushing. Topu missed a golden chance to equalise from a Fahamedul cross in stoppage time, but Bangladesh finally drew level in the 98th minute when Shamit Shome turned in Morsalin’s corner to make it 3-3.
Just when it seemed Bangladesh had secured a heroic comeback, heartbreak struck. In the dying moments of added time, Merkies completed his hat-trick with a tame shot that slipped past Mitul Marma a moment that summed up Bangladesh’s defensive struggles.
Despite the defeat, the performance showed flashes of resilience and attacking promise. Yet for Cabrera and his players, the late collapse will sting deeply, leaving them to wonder what might have been.
