Bangladesh National Football team, now in Malaysia to participate in the Group E matches of the AFC Asian Cup China' 2023 Qualifiers, made their first practices Saturday afternoon ahead of the main event. In the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers scheduled for May 8 to May 14 in Malaysia, Bangladesh was put in strong Group E with Bahrain, Turkmenistan and hosts Malaysia. Bangladesh will play stronger gulf nation Bahrain on June 8, will face Turkmenistan on June 11 and will meet hosts Malaysia on June 14. Read: Ecuador beat Nigeria in Word Cup warmup Bangladesh team, which arrived Malaysia from Indonesia on Thursday, made their first practices at the Mini Shah Alam Stadium on Saturday from 5:pm to 6:30 pm (local time) after a team meeting, gym and swimming session at team hotel--Dorsett Grand Hotel Subang-- in the morning. All the players and team officials of Bangladesh team are in sound health and the team has no injury problems, said a BFF media release Saturday afternoon. Bangladesh will also make their practices Sunday afternoon from 5:30 to 7 pm (local time). All the four participating teams now in the Malaysia capital to compete in the Asian Cup Qualifiers. Read: Cavani shines as Uruguay rout Mexico in friendly Earlier on Wednesday (June 1), Injury grabbed Bangladesh National Football team played a goalless draw with 29 ranked higher Indonesia in a FIFA Tier-1 International Friendly match at the Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung of West Java, Indonesia.

A 39-member Bangladesh National Football team will  leave Dhaka for Indonesia early Friday to play FiFA Tier-1 International Friendly and to participate in the AFC Asian Cup China' 2023 Qualifiers. The FIFA Tier-1 International Friendly match between Bangladesh and Indonesia will be held on June 1 at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung. The AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers will be held in Malaysia from May 8-14. Read: BCL Football: Azampur FC beat Uttara FC 4-0 In the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, Bangladesh will play stronger gulf nation Bahrain on June 8, will face Turkmenistan on June 11 and will meet hosts Malaysia on June 14. The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) at a press conference at BFF office on Thursday announced national football team for the match and AFC tournament. Team Manager Iqbal Hossain, Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuiyan, Head Coach Javier Fernandez Cabrera, BFF Technical Director Paul Thomas Smalley and BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag were present on the occasion. Bangladesh team comprises of 27 booters and 12 officials. The booters of Bangladesh team : Goalkeepers: Anisur Rahman Zico, Ashraful Islam Rana and Mohammad, Nayeem. Defenders: Yeasin Arafat, Bishwanath Ghosh, Rimon Hossain, Tutul Hosain Badsha , Riyadul Hasan Rafi, Rahmat Mia, Rayhan Hassan, Isa Faysal and Tarak Kazi. Read: AFC Cup Football: Bashundhara Kings stay in race beating Indian 2nd tier champions Midfielders: Jamal Bhuiyan, Atiqur Rahman Fahad, Biplo Ahmed, Mohammad Ibrahim, Rakib Hossain, Masuk Mia Zoni. Maraz Hossain Opi, Sohel Rana, Papon Singh; Forwards: Foysal Ahmed Fahim, Jafar Iqbal, Sazzad Hossain, Matin Mia, Mahbubur Rahman Sufil and Sumon Reza  

Various sporting events around the world were postponed or canceled for the majority of 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, many sports events were organized in accordance with health guidelines in 2021. The Tokyo Summer Olympic Games was the most significant of these. Bangladesh's performance at the Olympics was disappointing as usual. Bangladeshi athletes failed to win any medals in the Tokyo Olympics. Women performed better individually and in groups than males this year. The most noteworthy moments of Bangladesh sports in 2021 are discussed in this article. 2021 Year in Review: A Glimpse at the Notable Moments in Bangladesh Sports Cricket and football are the most popular sports in Bangladesh. Bangladesh's men's teams had a disappointing year in these two sports. However, the Bangladesh women's cricket team and the Bangladesh Under-19 football team enjoyed significant success at the end of the year. Aside from that, Bangladeshi athletes have had great success in individual events. Let's take a look at some of Bangladesh's major sporting incidents in 2021. Kabaddi The Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation hosted the Bangabandhu Kabaddi Cup in the first quarter of the year. Sri Lanka, Nepal, Kenya, Poland, and Bangladesh, the host country, competed in the tournament. The men's Kabaddi team from Bangladesh won all of their games in the group stage. Bangladesh won the tournament by defeating Kenya 34-28 in the final. It was one of Bangladesh's most notable sporting successes in 2021. Read Bangladesh Cricket in 2021: Performance Analysis by Series Cricket Bangladesh cricket saw various ups and downs in 2021. The men's cricket team of Bangladesh had a disastrous T20 World Cup 2021 campaign. They also lost a handful of Test series at home. Two of Bangladesh's men's cricket team's notable successes were winning the T20I series against Australia and New Zealand at home. In contrast to the men's team, the Bangladesh Women's National Team had a successful year. Bangladesh women's team qualified for the ICC One-Day International World Cup in 2022 after winning a bilateral series in Zimbabwe. The BCB was under fire from the media and supporters in the second half of the year. Football The Bangladesh national men's football team competed in FIFA World Cup qualifiers in the year 2021, a four-nation event, and the SAFF Championship. Bangladesh placed fifth in World Cup qualifying group F and third in the four-nation tournament. Despite a strong start to the campaign, Bangladesh finished fourth in the group stage of the SAFF Championship. Therefore, Bangladesh men's football team had a bad year in 2021. Read Bangladesh’s U-19 SAFF Women’s Championship victory to serve as a harbinger of success in football On the other hand, the Bangladesh U19 Women's team performed well throughout their campaign in the 2021 SAFF U19 Championship. They became the undefeated winners after defeating India 1-0 in the final. It was their second title in a row. The sports year 2021 in Bangladesh came to a close with this great achievement of women. Field Hockey Bangladesh hosted the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy for the first time in December. Bangladesh national men's hockey team was given the chance to play in the Champions Trophy for the first time as the host country. Malaysia was one of six teams invited to play, however, they were unable to compete due to coronavirus restrictions. Bangladesh was eliminated from the competition after losing all four matches in the group stage. South Korea won the championship for the first time after beating Japan 4-2 in a penalty shootout. Read Traditional folk sports of rural Bangladesh: A look back Archery During the 2021 Archery World Cup, Ruman Shana and Diya Siddique took silver in the recurve mixed team event. In the final, Bangladesh finished second behind the Netherlands. Despite losing 5–1 in the final, it was Bangladesh's best result in an Archery World Championship. It was also the first time Bangladesh has reached the final of a World Cup event in Archery. Weightlifting Maksuda Akhter, the first Bangladeshi woman to compete in an international bodybuilding competition, participated in the IHFF Olympia Amateur Bodybuilding Championship in Mumbai. Out of 30 bodybuilders, Maksuda placed third. She advanced to the top eight in the preliminary round and was chosen third runner-up in the final by the judges. Her victory was a watershed moment for her, and women in Bangladesh may take a lot of encouragement from it. Read Memorable International Cricket Moments in 2021 Shooting In total, 73 shooters from nine nations competed in the Bangabandhu tournament organized by the Bangladesh Shooting Sport Federation: India, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Singapore, and Bangladesh. Munna shone brightest among Bangladeshi shooters, claiming gold with a score of 626.8. While Syeda Atkia Hossain took silver with a score of 623.3 in the women's 10m air rifle event. Another Bangladeshi shooter, Shakil Ahmed won bronze in the air pistol event. Bangladesh at the 2020 Summer Olympics Six Bangladesh athletes competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics, representing four sports: archery, athletics, shooting, and swimming. In the mixed event of Archery, Ruman Shana and Diya Siddiqui were close to winning a medal in the event but were defeated by South Korea in the Round of 16. In Athletics, sprinter Mohammad Jahir Rayhan failed to move to the next round. He was knocked out from the heat. Swimmers Mohammed Ariful Islam and Junayna Ahmed did not progress from their heats, while shooter Abdullah Hel Baki came in 41st place in the Men's 10-meter air rifle event. Overall, Bangladesh's participation in the 2020 Summer Olympics was a disappointment. Read Achievements of Bangladesh in sports in 50 years since independence Car Racing Until recently, no one from Bangladesh had ever gained a reputation for himself on the world racing stage. Motorsport lover Avik Anwar, became the first Bangladeshi to finish third in the UAE Pro Car Championship in February 2021. Later in November, Avik Anwar won the NGK Pro Car Championship with the Toyota GT86 Model Car at the Yas Marina Formula 1 track in the UAE, beating off Helal Almazrouei and Fahad Alzaabi. It was a significant milestone for him, and his efforts will undoubtedly inspire Bangladesh's motorsport enthusiasts. Aftermath When looking at the most memorable achievements of the sports in Bangladesh in 2021, it is clear that women have accounted for the majority of the successes. Therefore, more government support is required for women to succeed in the field of sports. Read Top 10 Most Memorable Football Moments of 2021 Furthermore, each designated sports board must devote special emphasis to improving facilities for female athletes. Meanwhile, the men's cricket team of Bangladesh had a very poor showing in 2021. Some of the great triumphs of the Men's team have also sparked controversy. On the other hand, the women's cricket team had a successful year. Similarly, Bangladesh's major football success came through its age-based women's team. Bangladesh has had an eventful year in the field of sports overall.

Bangladesh's U-19 Women's Team clinched the 2021 SAFF U-19 Women's Championship after defeating India 1-0 in front of a packed BSSS Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday (December 22). Bangladesh took an attacking strategy from the start of the game and had to wait until the final few minutes to score. In the 80th minute, right-back Anai Mogini's long-range cross outside the D-Box beat the Indian goalkeeper, and Bangladesh scored the game-winning goal. The match report of the SAFF Championship final is discussed in this article. Match Report of 2021 SAFF U-19 Women’s Championship Final: Bangladesh vs India SAFF U-19 Women’s Championship victory will definitely inspire BFF (Bangladesh Football Federation) to take further initiative for the development of football. This success will also serve as a forerunner for taking Bangladesh football forward. Read:Bangladesh’s female booters rewrite history beating India in SAFF U-19 to clinch title In the final, Bangladesh's U-19 Women's team successfully defended their SAFF Championship title against India on Wednesday, thanks to a long-range shot by Bashundhara King's right-back Anai Mogini in the 35th minute of the second half. Shaheda Akter Ripa grabbed the ball from midfield on the right flank and executed a fantastic back-heel to Anai. Right-back Mogini took a beautiful calculated cross from the opposite flank that dipped down and beat the Indian goalkeeper to the net. The entire stadium erupted in applause; a scene rarely seen in Bangladesh football nowadays. Read SAFF U-19 Women’s: Bangladesh crush Sri Lanka, face India in final next Prior to Mogini's goal, both sides attempted to attack the opposing defense but were unable to reach the net due to the inefficiency in front of the net. However, Bangladesh had controlled the game for the most part and had the bulk of ball possession. In the first half, they produced several opportunities.

On the 16th of December 1971, Bangladesh became an independent country. Glorious independence was achieved after a 9-month bloodbath with Pakistan and is celebrating its 50 years of victory in 2021. Apart from establishing East Pakistan as an independent state, Bangladesh has a significant challenge in making it an economically and socially reliant country. To this aim, Bangladesh has made significant progress in a variety of fields over the past five decades, and sports is no exception. Let's take a look at Bangladesh's significant sporting successes in 50 years of victory. 50 years of victory: What has Bangladesh achieved in the field of sports?   Ha-du-du, popularly known as Kabaddi is Bangladesh's national sport. There has been some significant international success in Kabaddi. Cricket has overtaken football as the most popular sport in the country in the last two decades, despite football being the most popular for the first three decades following independence. Cricket has become the national thing in Bangladesh as a result of its international success. In team sports, field hockey also has had some success. Besides, Bangladeshi athletes have achieved international success in individual sports. Here are some of Bangladesh's noteworthy international sporting accomplishments. Read Top 10 Most Memorable Football Moments of 2021 Kabaddi Only a handful of nations play Kabaddi outside South Asia because it's most popular in the Indian sub-continent. Therefore, Bangladesh does not face significant international competition. Yet, the Bangladesh Kabaddi team has never won a gold medal in a major tournament. They had to settle for silver and bronze medals the majority of the time. Bangladesh's greatest achievements in Kabaddi were in the World Cups in 2004 and 2007. They came in third place in both tournaments. Apart from that, Bangladesh won silver at the Asian Games in 1990, 1994, and 2002. Football Football is now Bangladesh's second-most popular sport, after only cricket. The majority of Bangladesh's men's football success in the last five decades came in the 1980s and 1990s. However, the Bangladesh Women's Football team has made significant improvements in recent years. Here are some notable achievements in both men's and women's football in Bangladesh. Read Champions League 2021-2022: PSG to face Real Madrid, Man Utd to face Atletico in the Round of 16 Men’s Football  The greatest success of Bangladesh's men's national football team was winning the SAFF Championship in 2003. The national team also won a gold medal in the 2010 South Asian Games. Besides, Bangladesh also won the President's Gold Cup in 1989 and the four nations Tiger Trophy in 1995. Women’s Football In recent years, the Bangladesh Women's national football team has had more success than the Bangladesh Men's national football team. Bangladesh's women's team took silver in the 2016 SAFF Women's Championship and bronze in the 2010 and 2016 South Asian Games. Read Sports Year in Review: A Flashback of the Major Events in 2021 Field Hockey Field hockey was one of Bangladesh's most popular sports In the 1980s and 1990s, but it faded away as a result of poor international performance. Bangladesh's national men's hockey team won bronze medals in the 1995, 2010, and 2016 South Asian Games. Apart from that, one of the greatest achievements for the national team was coming fifth in the 1982 Asia Cup. Cricket After winning the 1997 ICC Trophy in Kuala Lumpur, cricket has eclipsed all other sports in Bangladesh in terms of popularity. After winning the competition, Bangladesh qualified for the 1999 ICC One-Day International World Cup. Since then, Bangladesh has participated in all of the main ICC competitions on a regular basis. On the other side, Bangladesh's women's team recently qualified for the ICC ODI World Cup 2022. Here are some important achievements in Bangladeshi cricket, both men's and women's. Read Expected personal milestones to achieve in the Upcoming NZ vs BAN Test Series 2022 Men’s Cricket Cricket has been Bangladesh's most significant sporting achievement. Bangladesh's cricket team was awarded Test status in 2000, and they have since defeated some of the world's best teams in the format. The two biggest Test victories for Bangladesh's men's national team came against England in 2016 and Australia in 2017. Bangladesh's greatest performance in any ICC event was reaching the semifinals of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. Apart from that, Bangladesh was runner-up in the 2012, 2016, and 2018 Asia Cup. Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh has been regularly named the world's best all-rounder. He is regarded as one of the finest all-rounders in history. Aside from national team success, the Bangladesh U19 team won the 2020 ICC U19 World Cup, widely regarded as the country's greatest sporting feat. Read Top Performers in the BAN vs PAK Test Series 2021 Women’s Cricket The women's national team of Bangladesh stunned the world by winning the Asia Cup 2018 in Malaysia. They defeated a strong Indian side by three wickets in the final. The Women's team rose to prominence after winning the Asia Cup, and they have continued to make improvements since then. They also took home a gold medal at the South Asian Games in 2019. The women's team has won a number of bilateral series against some of the world's best teams. The ICC granted Bangladesh's women's team full Test and ODI status in April 2021. Ball Sports Handball, volleyball, basketball, and rugby are among the other ball sports federations in Bangladesh. However, neither of these sports has had any notable international success. The Bangladesh Men's Volleyball team earned silver in a tournament hosted in Pakistan in 2009 and the Bangladesh Basketball team took bronze in the South Asian Games in 2010. Meanwhile, Rugby is a relatively new sport in Bangladesh. Winning the Bowl final of the 2018 Asia Rugby Sevens Series has been the best achievement for the Bangladesh Rugby team. Read Maksuda Akhter: Bangladesh’s first woman bodybuilder to win international medal Combat Sports Bangladesh has a variety of combat sports. Karate has been the most successful of them all. Bangladesh has won seven gold medals in karate in the South Asian Games thus far. Taekwondo, on the other hand, is the most popular combat sport in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Taekwondo team won two gold medals in the 2009 Open International Taekwondo Championships in Seoul, as well as a few gold medals at the South Asian Games. Golf Golf has gradually become a popular sport in Bangladesh after Siddikur Rahman won the 2010 Brunei Open, becoming the first Bangladeshi golfer to win an Asian Tour tournament. Siddikur also made history by being the first Bangladeshi to qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio 2016. He finished 58th in the main event of the 2016 Olympics. Siddikur also won the Hero Indian Open in 2013. Read Ballon d'Or 2021 Winner: Lionel Messi wins the coveted award record seventh time Chess Bangladesh has had some success in chess and produced a number of grandmasters over the years. Niaz Murshed, Ziaur Rahman, Reefat Bin-Sattar, Abdullah Al Rakib, and Enamul Hossain are among them. Niaz Murshed is the first South Asian to be honored as a Grandmaster. Women International Masters from Bangladesh include Rani Hamid and Shamima Akter Liza. Rani Hamid is a three-time winner of the British Women's Chess Championship and the country's first Women International Master. Shooting Archery has been the most successful individual sport for Bangladesh. In the 1990 Commonwealth Games, Ateequr Rahman and Abdus Sattar won Gold in the Men's Air Pistol - Pair event, while Shooter Asif Hossain Khan won Gold in the Men's Air Rifle event in the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Bangladesh has also won four silver medals and two bronze medals in Commonwealth tournaments. Apart from that, Bangladesh won many Gold medals at the South Asian Games.  Read ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2022: Five Bangladeshi Cricketers who could shine in New Zealand Archery In Archery, Ruman Shana won bronze in the 2019 World Archery Championships, making him the first Bangladeshi archer to win a medal in an international tournament. Shana was also a gold medalist at the 2019 Asia Cup, which was held in the Philippines. During the 2021 Archery World Cup, Diya Siddique and Ruman Shana took silver in the recurve mixed team event.  Athletics Bangladesh has produced a number of talented athletes, swimmers, and weightlifters over the years. Bangladesh has consistently won international medals in these events. However, all of the success came in the South Asian Games. The Bangladesh Athletic Federation must take a more strategic plan to be successful at the Asian Games and the Olympics.   Read Diego Maradona: A year without the Argentine Legend Other Sports Tennis, Table Tennis, and Squash all have federations in Bangladesh. Bangladesh's best-ever Tennis achievement was reaching the semi-finals of the David Cup in the Asian/Oceania Zone group in 1989. Bangladesh earned a few medals in Table Tennis at the South Asian Games. Besides, Squash in Bangladesh has shown promise, although the country has yet to reach international success. Way Forward  Culture and sports development are two indicators of a country's economic progress. Bangladesh has achieved success in both of these areas in the recent past. Particularly in sports, there have been some significant achievements, with cricket accounting for the majority of them. In addition to mainstream sports, the most important aspect is that Bangladeshi athletes are also succeeding in non-traditional sports. Read Mahmudullah retires from Test: Remembering the silent killer’s dazzling match-winning centuries Despite certain achievements to commemorate the 50 years of victory, Bangladesh still has a long way to go to reach the level of the top on the international stage. In such circumstances, Bangladesh's government should take the lead in establishing a professional sports infrastructure. Only afterward will it be possible to achieve the desired outcome on a worldwide platform.  

The Sri Lanka Football Federation is hosting a four nations football tournament 2021, which will begin on November 8 (Monday). The national men's football team of Bangladesh will feature in the competition. The 23-member Bangladeshi team has already arrived in Sri Lanka to compete in the tournament. This will be Portuguese coach Mario Lemos' first assignment as head coach. All eyes will be on him during the competition to see how his team performs. Let's take a look at the teams that will participate and the tournament schedule. Who will compete in the 2021 Four Nations Football Competition? Bangladesh, Seychelles, Maldives, and host Sri Lanka are the four teams competing in the championship. According to the most recent FIFA rankings, Maldives have the highest (156) FIFA ranking among the teams. Bangladesh are ranked 187th, followed by Seychelles (199) and Sri Lanka (204). Also read: Bangladesh Football team leaves Dhaka for Sri Lanka The Maldives performed well in the 2021 SAFF Championship. They came in the third position in the group, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the finals. Sri Lanka's greatest performance in the tournament came in a 0-0 draw against India. The Sri Lankan national team finished last in the standings. Bangladesh began their SAFF Championship campaign with a victory, but their momentum halted in the last two games. On the other hand, Seychelles is a member of the African Football Confederation (CAF). The Bangladesh Football Federation has chosen Mario Lemos as head coach following their failure in the South Football Championship. He is the current head coach of Abahani Ltd and is familiar with the Bangladesh players. BFF is hopeful that Mario's appointment will help Bangladesh win a multi-national contest and improve their current rankings. Read Sepp Blatter, Platini indicted for fraud in Switzerland Tournament Format and Fixtures   There will be only one group in the four-nation football competition 2021. In other words, each of the four teams will compete against the other. The top two teams in the points standings will advance to the championship match on November 17th (Wednesday). All of the games will be staged at Colombo's Racecourse Ground.  Bangladesh will play Seychelles in their opening match of the competition, which will begin on November 8 at 4.30 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time). Bangladesh's prospects in the tournament will be defined by how well they do in the first match. Read Atalanta vs. Man Utd: Magnificent Cristiano Ronaldo saves Manchester United once again Complete tournament schedule Complete tournament schedule Date Matches Time (Bangladesh Standard Time) 08/11/2021 Bangladesh vs. Seychelles   4.30 pm 08/11/2021 Sri Lanka vs. Maldives 9.30 pm 11/11/2021 Bangladesh vs. Maldives 4.30 pm 11/11/2021 Sri Lanka vs. Seychelles 9.30 pm 14/11/2021 Sri Lanka vs. Bangladesh 4.30 pm 14/11/2021 Seychelles vs. Maldives 9.30 pm 17/11/2021 Final 7.30 pm Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Four_Nations_Football_Tournament_(Sri_Lanka) Read Bangladesh Football team leaves Dhaka for Sri Lanka Bangladesh Squad Ashraful Islam Rana (GK), Anisur Rahman Zico (GK), Shahidul Alam Sohel (GK), Yeasin Arafat (DF), Rahmat Mia (DF), Topu Barman (DF), Rezaul Karim (DF), Riyadul Hasan Rafi (DF), Tutul Hossain Badsha (DF), Yeasin Khan (DF), Sushanto Tripura (DF), Jamal Bhuyan (MF, Captain), Atiqur Rahman Fahad (MF), Mohammad Ridoy (MF), Rakib Hossain (MF), Obidur Rahman Nawbab (MF), Sumon Reza (FW), Mahbubur Rahman Sufil (FW), Jewel Rana (FW), Mohammad Ibrahim (FW), Saad Uddin (FW), Mehedi Hasan Royal (FW), Foysal Ahmed Fahim (FW)            Bottom Line Bangladesh does have a good chance of winning the tournament since they are the tournament's second-best team as per FIFA rankings. The majority of the players competed in the just-finished SAFF Football Championship 2021 and have excellent chemistry between them. Mario Lemos has to unite his group in order to achieve the best performance on the field. Bangladesh's strongest opponent in this competition will be the Maldives, who have the highest ranking and are stronger than the other teams. However, Bangladesh have a realistic chance to win the four nations football competition 2021 if they can show consistency from the start. Read Man Utd vs. Man City: Match Preview, Team News, Lineups

A 10-man Bangladesh crashed out of the five-nation SAFF Championship 2021 after playing out to 1-1 draw with Nepal in their last league match at the National Football Stadium in Male Wednesday. Nepal will play the final on October 16 at 9pm Bangladesh time against hosts Maldives or India. In Wednesday's other crucial match at 10pm, the league leader Maldives will play third-placed India, who have not yet conceded any defeat, Bangladesh time to clinch a berth in the final. Read: SAFF Championship: 10-man Bangladesh come from behind to draw with India The Maldives, who dominated the league table with six points from three matches after beating Sri Lanka 1-0, Bangladesh 2-0 and conceding 0-1 defeat against Nepal, need a draw against India to confirm their place in the final. But India will have to win the match to do so.

Despite the fact that India were the pre-tournament favorite, there was an expectation that the SAFF championship 2021 would be more competitive than recent editions. All of the teams have done well since the tournament began earlier this month. There are still four teams competing for a berth in the finals. As there is only one group in this competition, the top two teams in the points table will progress to the final match. Let's look at the group stage scenario and assess which two teams have the best chance of reaching the finals. Read:SAFF Football: Bangladesh to face Nepal in a 'do or die" match on Wednesday Scenario for Championship Match Berths in the Group Stage The finalists of the SAFF Championship 2021 will be determined by the last two group stage matches. Because the winner of the match between Bangladesh and Nepal will face the winner of the match between India and the Maldives in the championship match on October 16 (Saturday) at the National Football Stadium in the Maldives. SAFF Football Championship 2021 points table (as of October 10) Team Match Win Draw Loss GD Points Maldives 3 2 0 1 2 6 Nepal 3 2 0 1 1 6 India 3 1 2 0 2 5 Bangladesh 3 1 1 1 -1 4 Sri Lanka 4 0 1 3 -3 1 Read: SAFF Championship: Bangladesh lose 0-2 to Maldives Bangladesh vs. Nepal: (5 pm, Bangladesh Standard Time) Head-to-head: Bangladesh Win: 13 | Draw: 2 | Nepal: 7 Bangladesh Bangladesh have a simple equation in their quest for a final berth. Bangladesh will go to the final if they defeat Nepal.  Bangladesh defeated Sri Lanka in their first match of the tournament. They surprised India by drawing the match with ten men on the field. However, Oscar Bruzon's team did not put up their best effort against the Maldives, losing 2-0. They have the lowest goal differential (-1) among the top four teams. Therefore, Bangladesh will not advance to the final if they draw their match against Nepal. So, this is a make-or-break situation for the tigers. Read CONMEBOL World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Lionel Messi Sets New South American Record Probable Starting XI (expected formation: 4-3-3) Anisur Rahman Zico (GK), Yasin Arafat, Tariq Kazi, Topu Barman, Md Saad Uddin, Jamal Bhuyan, Mohammad Ibrahim, Sohel Rana, Biplu Ahmed, Rahmat Mia, Motin Mia Nepal Nepal kicked up their SAFF Championship 2021 campaign with two impressive wins over the Maldives and Sri Lanka. They also performed well against India but were defeated 1-0. Nepal are currently in second place in the points standings after collecting six points in three games. Nepal will proceed to the final if they win against Bangladesh. However, Nepal may still qualify for the final if they draw this match and India lose to the Maldives. Read: SAFF Champs: Bangladesh to play hosts Maldives Thursday night Probable Starting XI (expected formation: 5-4-1) Dangi (GK), Lama, Uparkoti, T.Tamang, S. Shrestha, G. Shrestha, Rajbanshi, A. Tamang, Chand, Aryal, Chemzong India vs. Maldives (10 pm, Bangladesh Standard Time) Head-to-head: India Win: 14 | Draw: 2 | Maldives: 4 India India got off to a shaky start in the tournament. They drew with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in their first two games, losing vital four points. They fought back strongly against Nepal and won the game 1-0. India are still in contention for a top-two finish in the points standings. They must win their encounter against the Maldives to qualify for the championship match. India will be eliminated from the competition if they lose points.  Probable Starting XI (expected formation: 4-2-2) Singh Sandhu (GK), Desai, Bose, Bheke, Kotal, Femandes, Ralte, Wangjam, Yasir, Singh, Sunil Chhetri   Read: SAFF Championship 2021: How Bangladesh can qualify for the Final Maldives The Maldives had a shaky start to the tournament. They were defeated 1-0 by Nepal in their first match. However, they bounced back against Bangladesh, winning 2-0, and then beating Sri Lanka by a solitary goal. The Maldives are in first place in the points table with 6 points. If the host draws their match against India, they will progress to the final. So, the Maldives are in a stronger position than the other three teams in the final race.  Probable Starting XI (expected formation: 4-2-3-1) Faisal (GK), Yoosuf, Samooh, Ghanee, Hassan, Nihaan, Ali, Mahudhee, Fasir, Mohamed, Ashfaq Verdict The top two teams in the points standings are the Maldives and Nepal as of October 10. These two teams appear to be competitive, and they have exhibited a desire to win the tournament. Though India remain the best side on paper to win the tournament. They made a fantastic comeback against Nepal in their last group stage encounter. On the other hand, Bangladesh had a promising start to the competition but struggled against the host Maldives. Bangladesh must come out on top against Nepal with a winning formula to proceed to the SAFF Championship 2021 final.      Read UEFA Nations League 2021: France Beat Spain in the Final to Become Champion  

Bangladesh national football team tasted their first defeat in the five-nation SAFF Championship 2021 as hosts the Maldives beat them 2-0 Thursday. After a scoreless first half at the National Football Stadium in the Maldives capital Male, striker Hamza Mohamed put the hosts ahead in the 55th minute with a bicycle-kick off a header (1-0). Ali Ashfaq, named man of the match, added another in the 74th minute from a penalty (2-0). Read: SAFF Championship: 10-man Bangladesh come from behind to draw with India The Maldives won the spot-kick as Bangladesh's Sohel Rana made a rash tackle inside the danger zone. The archipelagic state wrapped up the win they deserved after dominating the match against the men in red and green. Five Bangladeshi booters – Md Ibrahim, Yeasin Arafat, Jewel Rana, Tariq Kazi and Jamal Bhuiyan – were cautioned with yellow cards. However, goalkeeper Anisur Rahman Zico pulled up some brilliant saves. Bangladesh last beat the Maldives in SAFF Championship in Dhaka in 2003. Read: Bruzon era starts brightly as Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka in SAFF opener Despite Thursday's defeat, the men in red and green remained in second place of the standings with four points from three matches after beating Sri Lanka 1-0 and playing out to a 1-1 draw with India. So far, Nepal have dominated the competition with an unbeaten run, securing six points from two matches. Bangladesh will face the Himalayan nation on October 13 at 5pm at the same venue.

Bangladesh national football team will play upper ranked and hosts Maldives in their 3nd match of the five-nation SAFF Championship’2021 at the National Football Stadium in the Maldives capital Male on Thursday night. T-Sports will telecast live from the big bowl at 10 pm (Bangladesh Time). In Thursday’s other match, former champions India will take on all losers Sri Lanka at 5 pm (BST) at the same venue. Bangladesh remained unbeaten in ongoing meet securing four points from two matches after beating Sri Lanka 1-0 featuring a goal from defender Topu Banman in the first match and a 10-men Bangladesh, coming from behind, snatched an important point from their giant neighbor India in 1-1 draw, also featuring a goal from another defender Yeasin Arafat. Himalayan nation Nepal dominated the meet securing full six points from two matches after beating hosts Maldives 1-0 and defeated Sri Lanka by 3-2 goal. Read: SAFF Championship: 10-man Bangladesh come from behind to draw with India Former champions India are in the 3rd slot bagging one point from their lone match against Bangladesh. Sri Lanka and Maldives are yet to open the account playing two and one match respectively. Thursday’s match will be equally important for both the teams. Bangladesh wants to brighten the final berth beating the Maldives while hosts Maldives seriously needed a win to keep their final berth alive. It will be another acid test for the newly appointed Spanish interim Head Coach of Bangladesh national football team Oscar Bruzon after proving his worth in the first two matches. In the remaining matches of the South Asian biggest soccer tournament Bangladesh will play hosts Maldives on Oct 7 at 10 pm and Nepal on Oct 13 at 5pm , both at the National Football Stadium in Male. Two top teams of the five–nation meet will play the final on October 16 at the same venue.  The present record are not in favor of Bangladesh as they suffered three successive defeats against the Maldives in the last 18 years, featuring a 0-5 goal losses in the FIFA International friendly in Male in 2016. Read: Bruzon era starts brightly as Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka in SAFF opener Bangladesh beat the Maldives last in 2003 to win SAF Championship in Dhaka, beating the Maldives 1-0 in group stage and overcame them by 5-3 goals in tie-breaker in the final. But in the initial stages, Bangladesh started campaign brilliantly beating the Maldives by 5-0 goal in the Kathmandu SAF Games in 1984 and crushed them again Maldives by 8-0 goal in the Dhaka SAF Games in 1985.. Ahead of the Thursday’s match, Bangladesh team made their practices at the Henveiru Training Pitch in Male Wednesday afternoon Three key players of Bangladesh team are likely to miss the Thursday’s match against the Maldives.  Defender Bishwanath Ghosh will miss the match for receiving red card, Rakib Hossain for two yellow cards and medio Atiqur Rahman Fahad is likely to miss the for his back injury.