Bangladesh trailed 1–0 at half-time against Nepal in their international friendly at the National Stadium in Dhaka, following a costly defensive mistake on Thursday. The match serves as preparation for Bangladesh’s Asian Cup qualifier against India on 18 November.
Nepal went ahead in the 32nd minute after exploiting space on the left. Defender Saad Uddin failed to track his man, allowing a cutback that Sohel Rana could not clear. Rohit Chand reacted quickly, drilling a powerful shot past both the defenders and the goalkeeper.
Earlier, in the eighth minute, Saad had gifted possession to a Nepali attacker inside his own half but managed to recover in time. Despite his ongoing struggles in international matches, the coach continues to keep faith in him.
Although Bangladesh enjoyed more possession and had spent nearly two weeks preparing, their first-half performance lacked structure and fluency. Forwards Rakib Hossain and Faysal Ahmed Fahim both missed opportunities to find the net, struggling with their finishing in front of goal.
Bangladesh earned two corners from either side but failed to create any real danger. Their best chance came in the 26th minute when a poor defensive header from Nepal left the ball loose in the area, yet Fahim could not get his shot away after miscontrolling.
Nepal captain Kiran Limbu, who also captains Bangladesh Premier League side Police FC, made several key saves to deny Bangladesh.
Hamza Choudhury was among the few bright spots, covering ground tirelessly and linking play across midfield. At one point, he signalled for a pass inside Nepal’s box, but Sohel Rana opted to shoot off target instead. Hamza later showed his quality with a well-timed cross from the right while on the move.
