Bangladesh wins 1-0 against India after 22 years

A historic night unfolded at the National Stadium in Dhaka as Bangladesh secured a momentous 1-0 victory against arch-rivals India in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers on Tuesday, ending a grueling 22-year wait for a win against their neighbors. The last triumph dated back to a 2003 SAFF Championship semi-final.

The decisive moment came in the 11th minute with a lightning-fast counter-attack. Winger Rakib Hossain burst forward from midfield, shrugging off Indian defenders before delivering a precise, low square pass into the box.

Sheikh Morsalin, wearing the No. 7 shirt, met the pass with a composed finish, expertly threading the ball between the legs of a hesitant Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. The seventh international goal for Morsalin sent the capacity home crowd into raptures.

Despite the early lead, the Blue Tigers pressed hard. The home side was forced to defend their slim advantage fiercely under the watchful eye of Hamza Choudhury.

The midfielder, fresh off two goals against Nepal last week, proved his worth defensively on the half-hour mark. After a mix-up in the Bangladesh defense left the goal exposed, India’s Lallianzuala Chhangte fired a goalbound effort—only for Hamza to produce a spectacular goal-line clearance, hooking the ball away in what proved to be the most critical defensive moment of the game.

Bangladesh had to cope with injuries to defenders Tariq Kazi and Zayyan Ahmed, but the collective effort—including Rakib and Faysal Ahmed Fahim tracking back—ensured the slender lead was protected until the final whistle. The victory marks Bangladesh’s first win of the qualifying campaign, lifting them to third place in the group.