Mohammad Ibrahim could not hold back his emotions after scoring Bangladesh’s winning goal against Bhutan in their SAFF Championship 2026 opener on Thursday. The goal brought back memories of the difficult times he had faced while fighting for a place in the national team.
Ibrahim came off the bench to score in the 69th minute as Bangladesh secured a 1-0 victory at the National Stadium in Dhaka.
“I had been in and out of the team for a long time. Sometimes, even when I was in the squad, I did not get the chance to play,” Ibrahim said.
“After scoring the goal, all those difficult moments came back to my mind. I kept thinking about the tough times I had gone through.”
The forward had also missed out on Bangladesh’s ASEAN Cup squad. However, he refused to give up and continued working towards another national team opportunity.
“Of course, I felt bad about being left out. But I kept trying because I knew the SAFF Championship was coming up,” he said.
“I believed that if I performed well for my club, I would definitely get another opportunity with the national team.”
Ibrahim also explained how he studied the match from the bench before entering the field. He noticed Bangladesh were regularly sending balls into Bhutan’s penalty area but struggling to finish their chances.
“My target was that if I could get into those positions at the right moment, I would get at least one or two chances,” he said.
Bangladesh coach Thomas Dooley introduced Ibrahim as a number 10 and moved Shamit Shome further forward.
“The coach told me to play as a number 10 and moved Shamit into the number nine position,” Ibrahim explained.
“Then, when Shamit went to meet the ball, I noticed there was space behind him. I made my run towards the ball.”
That movement helped Ibrahim score the decisive goal. Looking ahead, Ibrahim said he wanted to continue helping Bangladesh, whether through goals or assists.
He also welcomed the expected return of Hamza Choudhury.
“You all know that when Hamza bhai comes back, the team’s momentum will completely change,” he said.
Ibrahim added that the team would study their mistakes through video analysis before preparing for their next match against Sri Lanka.
