Bangladesh end U-20 campaign with 3-0 defeat to India

Bangladesh ended their AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualifying campaign with a 3-0 defeat to India in Uzbekistan on Sunday, finishing bottom of their four-team group without scoring a single goal.

The boys in red and green had lost against Uzbekistan (2-0) and Syria (3-0) in their opening two matches, after which the Bangladesh Football Federation dismissed British head coach Gerard Jones, leaving assistant coach Atikur Rahman Meshu in charge for the decisive match against India.

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Bangladesh went into half-time 1-0 down and conceded twice more after the break as India controlled the match and created several chances. The coaching change failed to bring a significant improvement to Bangladesh's performance.

The result was particularly disappointing given Bangladesh's recent success against their neighbours. Just a few months ago, Bangladesh defeated India to win the SAFF U-20 Championship in the Maldives. 

Bangladesh had travelled to Uzbekistan aiming to qualify for the final round of the AFC U-20 Asian Cup for the very first time. 

Their bottom-place finish could also have consequences for the next qualifying cycle. The six lowest-ranked teams in the current competition are expected to enter the Development Cup before returning to the AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualifying pathway.

Bangladesh's campaign was also overshadowed by turmoil within the coaching staff before the tournament. Jones and Meshu were involved in a physical altercation at the team's hotel in Dhaka, after which Jones called the police.

Despite the incident, both coaches travelled to Uzbekistan. Meshu, however, did not take his place in the dugout during the tournament.