Bangladesh thrash Bhutan to register first-ever futsal win

Bangladesh registered their maiden international futsal victory as the men in red and green defeated Bhutan 4–1 in the SAFF Futsal Championship in Bangkok, Thailand, on Sunday.

After opening the tournament with a 4–4 draw against India and then suffering a heavy 6–1 defeat to Maldives, Bangladesh bounced back strongly in their third match. A first-half brace from Moin Ahmed set the tone, as Bangladesh dominated proceedings throughout the opening half but also squandered several scoring opportunities.

After the resumption, Bangladesh maintained their dominant performance against Bhutan, who had come into the match following a draw with Sri Lanka and a defeat to Pakistan. However, the charges of Saeid Khodarahmi briefly put Bangladesh under pressure when Bhutan pulled one back early in the second half.

The men in red and green looked nervous as they tried to protect their lead amid sustained pressure, before finally easing the tension with two goals in the final five minutes.

Captain Rahbar Wahed turned provider on both occasions, first setting up Faisal for Bangladesh’s third goal before Ibrahim sealed the historic triumph with a tap-in from Wahed’s square pass.

Bangladesh are now fourth in the standings with four points — the same tally as Nepal, who have played a game fewer. Maldives and Pakistan have six points apiece, but the former lead the table thanks to a vastly superior goal difference of +11 compared to Pakistan’s -1. Maldives have played two matches, while Pakistan have played three.