Bangladesh Denied Victory by Last-Minute Goal Despite Hamza’s Magic

Bangladesh were once again left to rue a last-minute lapse, conceding a goal in added time to settle for a 2-2 draw against Nepal at the National Stadium in Paltan on Thursday. The hosts had been ahead 2-1 at the end of regular time, with the match seemingly under their control. However, in the third minute of stoppage time, a lapse in concentration during a corner allowed Ananta Tamang to find the net, silencing the home crowd and snatching a draw for Nepal.

This marks another agonising late collapse for Bangladesh, reminiscent of their 4-3 defeat to Hong Kong on 9 October, when they conceded in the final 20 seconds. With a crucial Asian Cup qualifier against India looming on 18 November, the team had arranged this fixture as part of their preparation. Coach Javier Cabrera fielded a full-strength side with victory in mind, yet Bangladesh, winless in their previous four matches, struggled to assert themselves initially.

It took almost 30 minutes for players like Jamal Bhuiya and Rakib Hossain to settle into the game, by which time Nepal had taken the lead through Rohit Chand, exploiting mistakes by Bangladesh’s defenders Tapu Barman and Tarik Kazi, while goalkeeper Mitul Marmar bore a significant portion of the blame.

Bangladesh responded emphatically in the second half. Within five minutes, Hamza Choudhury scored twice—first a spectacular bicycle kick from a cross by Faisal Ahmed Fahim, then a penalty. The Leicester City midfielder now has four goals in six appearances for Bangladesh, having previously scored against Bhutan and Hong Kong.

Coach Cabrera also gave opportunities to substitutes Shomit Som, Kiyuba Mitchell, Shaharian Emon, and Mohammad Hridoy, but the team’s lack of focus in the final stages cost them the win. Despite Hamza’s brilliance, the match highlighted the need for greater defensive composure and concentration until the final whistle.