Bangladesh and Hong Kong Draw 1-1 in Asian Cup Qualifiers

Dhaka, Bangladesh — Bangladesh and Hong Kong finished their AFC Asian Cup Qualifier match in a 1-1 draw on Thursday. The match took place at the Nacional Bangabandhu Stadium, with both teams fighting hard for their chance at qualification.

Hamza Choudhury of Bangladesh opened the scoring early in the match with a stunning free-kick. The Leicester City midfielder’s goal came after just 15 minutes of play, sending the home fans into a frenzy. Despite Bangladesh’s initial dominance, Hong Kong fought back and leveled the score in the first half’s dying moments.

Everton Camargo found the net for Hong Kong in the 45th minute after a defensive mistake by Bangladesh. The goal came off a corner that was not cleared effectively, allowing Camargo to sneak a shot past goalkeeper Mitul Marma. “We need to be more disciplined at the back,” Bangladesh coach Javier Cabrera said post-match.

The first half saw Bangladesh controlling possession and creating more chances, but as the match progressed, Hong Kong gained momentum, particularly after their equalizer. Both teams had opportunities to clinch the game in the second half, but the defenses held strong.

After drawing with India and losing to Singapore in their earlier matches, Bangladesh needed a win to revive their hopes of advancing. With the draw, they sit at the bottom of Group C with just two points from three matches. Meanwhile, Hong Kong remains second with five points, looking to secure their second consecutive Asian Cup qualification.

The intense match featured aggressive play from both sides, with many fouls disrupting the flow of the game. Despite the disappointing result for Bangladesh, fans were proud of their team’s performance, especially in the first half.

“We showed we can compete with higher-ranked teams,” said Choudhury. “But we need to turn these draws into wins.” The teams will look ahead to their next matches in the qualifiers to improve their standings.