Former Bangladesh captain Aminul Haque believes goalkeeper Mitul Marma appeared nervous as the national team suffered a dramatic 4–3 defeat to Hong Kong in the Asian Cup qualifiers on Friday. The hosts had staged a remarkable comeback from 3–1 down to level the match, but a last-minute goal sealed Bangladesh’s loss.
Speaking at a café inauguration in Uttara, Dhaka, Aminul said, “If the goalkeeper had made the right decision at the right time, the result might have been different. I felt that our goalkeeper was a bit nervous.”
The match saw Bangladesh concede three of the goals through errors, and while the goalkeeper could have helped the team prevent further damage, Mitul was unable to seize those opportunities. Aminul pointed out the first goal by Everton Camargo and the last goal by Rafael Marques as moments where stronger reflexes or quicker decision-making might have changed the outcome.
Despite the loss, Aminul defended head coach Javier Cabrera, who faced criticism for his tactics and team selection, including leaving Shamit Shome and Zayyan Ahmed on the bench. “A coach always wants to field his best eleven,” he said. “But when the team loses, the blame often falls on the coach. The real issue arises when players fail to click at the right moments.”
Bangladesh’s defeat drew frustration from fans and players alike, but Aminul urged a positive perspective. “Criticism is inevitable after a loss, but it can be seen constructively,” he added.The former goalkeeper, who represented Bangladesh from 1998 to 2010 and won the 2003 SAFF Championship, emphasised that the team’s errors under pressure, rather than coaching decisions alone, were decisive in the outcome.
