Bangladesh get the win, not the performance

Defending champions Bangladesh secured their place in the SAFF Women’s Championship semi-finals with a breathless 4-2 victory over the Maldives, but it was a performance far beneath their usual high standards.

Peter James Butler’s side looked uncharacteristically disjointed and threw away a comfortable two-goal cushion before ultimately riding their luck to claim all three points.

It was far from a masterclass, but true to the hallmark of champions, Bangladesh found a way to win when playing poorly, capitalising on Maldivian errors to book their spot in the knockout stages with a game to spare.

When the referee’s whistle first echoed around the empty Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, an impending annihilation seemed written in the stars.

It took a mere 11 seconds for the champions to draw first blood.

Straight from the kick-off, the mercurial Ritu Porna Chakma drove down the left flank, delivering a low, inviting cross that Swedish-based forward Anika Rania Siddiqui ruthlessly dispatched with her right foot for her maiden international goal.

The floodgates appeared wide open.

Ritu Porna nearly scored an audacious “Olympic goal” directly from a corner just two minutes later, only to be denied by the far post.

The Maldivian penalty area was under a relentless siege, with Shamsunnahar Junior fluffing a golden opportunity in the 12th minute before rattling the crossbar from a Maria Manda delivery shortly before the half-hour mark.

When Umehla Marma deservedly doubled the advantage in the 34th minute, drilling a powerful low strike inside the near post off Shamsunnahar Junior’s cross, it should have been game, set, and match.

Instead, unforgivable complacency seeped into the Bangladeshi ranks.

A catastrophic lapse in concentration from captain Maria in midfield gifted possession to the opposition.

Seizing the moment, Mariyam Noora unleashed an astonishing long-range effort that sailed over the head of the hopelessly stranded goalkeeper Mile Akter, kissing the crossbar before nestling into the net.

If the first half ended on a note of caution, the start of the second was sheer unadulterated panic for Bangladesh.

The defending champions’ backline completely lost its shape, culminating in a frankly staggering defensive howler in the 56th minute.

Centre-back Afeida Khandaker seemingly froze in possession, affording Aminath Fazla an eternity of time and space without a hint of a challenge.

The Maldivian winger eagerly accepted the invitation, surging forward to beat the desperate dive of Mile and restore parity.

At 2-2, an unthinkable upset loomed large.

Sensing the mounting disaster, Butler rolled the dice, hooking Umehla and Anika to introduce Shaheda Akter Ripa and the prolific Tohura Khatun, who netted five times in the previous tournament, in a desperate bid to salvage the afternoon.

Ultimately, Bangladesh’s blushes were spared not by a moment of tactical brilliance, but by an absolute gift.

In the 64th minute, a routine cross from Ritu Porna slipped straight through the grasping gloves of the Maldivian custodian, allowing an opportunistic Preeti to pounce and prod the ball home with pinpoint accuracy.

The panic subsided, and as the Maldives desperately pushed for a late equaliser, Kohati Kisku added a flattering fourth goal in the dying embers of the match, putting a highly deceptive gloss on a thoroughly ragged display.

The victory combined with the Maldives’ prior 11-0 defeat to India guarantees Bangladesh a semi-final berth despite having left their best football in the dressing room.

However, as they look ahead to their final group-stage clash against India on 31 May to determine who advances as group winners, Butler’s side must ask themselves some incredibly difficult questions.

They have the three points in the bag, but if they are to retain their hard-won crown, this lacklustre standard of football simply will not suffice.