A lack of precision in the final third cost India points as the Blue Tigers were held to a goalless draw against Bangladesh in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers third round opener at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong on Tuesday.

Today’s result marks the 11th draw between the subcontinental rivals out of their 29 face-offs so far. Moreover, the Blue Tigers had also shared spoils against the Bengal Tigers in their previous home fixture back at the Vivekanda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in 2019, which ended with a 1-1 scoreline.

Manolo Marquez’s men missed the golden opportunity to start the qualifying campaign on a winning note, especially in front of the home crowd. India's other two opponents in Group C also shared points, as the other game between Singapore and Hong Kong also ended in a goalless draw.

Bangladesh made a positive start to the game with their aggressive approach from the offset. The Bengal Tigers got an early scoring chance in the 12th minute of the game, but Subhasish Bose’s goal-line clearance helped the hosts avoid conceding in the opening quarter.

The visitors had another chance in the 18th minute but could not break the deadlock as Emon’s unmarked header was off the target. Bangladesh faced a setback a minute later as Topu Barman suffered an ankle injury, and the defender was eventually subbed off in the 22nd minute.

The Blue Tigers got their chance with Liston Colaco’s whooping free kick, but substitute Rahmat flicked the ball away for a corner. A quick interchange of play between Colaco and Udanta Singh saw the first big chance of the game fall in front of Farukh Choudhary, but Bangladesh goalkeeper Mitul Marma gathered his low attempt well.

Marquez’s men continued to search for the opener with Colaco, Choudhary, and Sunil Chhetri hunting upfront, but a lack of precision in the final third prevented them from finding the back of the net.

Bangladesh were close to scoring the opener at the stroke of half -time, but Vishal Kaith produced an excellent save in a one-on-one situation against onrushing Mojibur Rahman Jony. With that, the first half ended on level terms.

India got their first big chance in the second half in the 58th minute, where Sunil Chhetri’s headed attempt was blocked by Hamza Choudhury. Colaco and Chhetri’s combination from the corner kick clicked again five minutes later, but this time, the former captain’s strike was over the target.

Marquez made a double substitution in the 66th minute as Suresh Singh Wangjam and Naorem Mahesh Singh came in for Ayush Chhetri and Udanta Singh, respectively.

Bose, the Mohun Bagan Super Giant defender, who made a goal-line clearance in the opening minutes of the game, got two chances within a span of four minutes but couldn’t keep his attempt in target. The full-back lodged a powerful shot from a 35-yard distance in the 68th minute, but his strike was inches wide of the far post. Four minutes later, Bose missed another chance; this time, his headed effort from Colaco’s corner went wide.

The Blue Tigers got another crucial chance in the dying minutes of the second half, but Chhetri couldn’t keep his header on target. Coming off the bench, Mahesh floated a perfect lofted cross for the veteran forward who couldn't convert.

The Bengal Tigers also got their chance in the final seconds of the second half, but Kaith again stood as a wall as he made a strong save to parry away Sohel's powerful strike from outside the box.

With that, Marquez’s men dropped crucial points on their home soil as the match ended in a goalless draw. The Blue Tigers will travel to Hong Kong for their second match in the qualification round, which will be played on June 10, 2025.

Related tags:

2024-2025