Bangladesh beat India after 22 years
The victory carried multiple layers of significance. Not since 2003 had Bangladesh beaten India—when Rokonuzzaman Kanchan and Matiur Rahman Munna scripted a 2–1 win in the SAFF Championship. Twenty-two years later, Morsalin revived that long-lost feeling for the supporters.
The gallery erupted in the 12th minute. Sheikh Morsalin, after sending the ball forward to Rakib from midfield, burst into the box. Moments later, when the return pass came his way, he calmly nudged the ball between goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu's legs and into the net. Bangladesh were in front, and Morsalin took flight in celebration. From then on, it became a battle of endurance—defending that slender lead against a relentless Indian side. Bangladesh held firm and earned their first win of the qualifiers.
At the National Stadium on Tuesday, Bangladesh beat India 1–0 in the second leg of the third round of the Asian Cup qualifiers.
The victory carried multiple layers of significance. Not since 2003 had Bangladesh beaten India—when Rokonuzzaman Kanchan and Matiur Rahman Munna scripted a 2–1 win in the SAFF Championship. Twenty-two years later, Morsalin revived that long-lost feeling for the supporters.
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The team had been weighed down by the frustration of going winless in the campaign, but this result finally broke the cycle. Even captain Jamal Bhuyan, who did not get the chance to play, found some relief—watching from the bench as Bangladesh tasted their first win over India in over two decades.
