Ronan Benjamin Sullivan exploded onto the scene with a debut brace as Bangladesh U20 beat Pakistan 2-0 in the SAFF Championship clash in Maldives on Tuesday. Mark Cox’s side controlled the first half but only found their cutting edge after the break.
Bangladesh owned the ball early and pressed Pakistan into mistakes. Sullivan led that press, snapping at defenders and forcing rushed decisions. Pakistan reacted quickly, crowded him out and tried to isolate the danger.
That move opened space for Md Manik and Md Mursed Ali. Bangladesh progressed the ball well but butchered the final action. Mursed, in particular, kept pulling the trigger when a simple pass would have killed the game.
The clearest miss came on 44 minutes. Nazmul Huda Faysal sparked a counter, Mursed drove into space on the left, and Sullivan ghosted into a prime scoring spot. Mursed ignored the square ball and dragged his effort wide, a decision that summed up a frustrating half.
Bangladesh still pushed. In stoppage time, Manik slipped Faysal through, but he lifted his shot over. Control without goals left the contest hanging.
Cox stepped in at the interval and changed the script. He pushed for quicker, more direct play and freed Sullivan to drop deeper and link attacks. That tweak shifted the tempo immediately.
The breakthrough arrived on 53 minutes. Zain Imran clipped Faysal just outside the box, and Sullivan stepped up. He bent a precise free-kick from 25 yards straight into the net, announcing himself with authority.
That goal cracked Pakistan’s shape. Bangladesh sensed blood and attacked with purpose. On 67 minutes, Sheikh Sangram whipped in a sharp cross from the left. Sullivan read it early, attacked the space and buried his second with clinical ease.
The contrast with the first half could not look sharper. Bangladesh moved the ball faster, trusted combinations and fed Sullivan in better zones. The isolation disappeared; the connection clicked.
Pakistan tried to respond, raised their tempo and pushed bodies forward. Bangladesh held firm, defended compactly and even carved out more chances on the break.
This win belongs to Sullivan’s finishing, but it also belongs to Cox’s adjustment. One tactical shift turned control into goals.
