Despite the ranking disparity, Bangladesh entered the first match against the Maldives at Kings Arena as favourites. The Maldives had not played an international match for the past year, lacked a domestic league, and did not have a football federation president. With the support of their home crowd and a strong record at Kings Arena, Bangladesh seemed poised for victory. Yet, it was Bangladesh who ended up on the losing side.
Ali Fasir's solitary goal on Wednesday evening was the difference in the Bangladesh-Maldives match. However, in every other aspect, Bangladesh dominated—be it attacks, shots on goal, or midfield control. So, where did Javier Cabrera's team go wrong?
Morsalin Fails in the Golden Zone
The standout player in the current Bangladesh team is undoubtedly Sheikh Morsalin. His inclusion in the national team in 2023 added a new dimension. Last year, Team Bangladesh scored 13 goals in 13 matches, with Morsalin playing a crucial role. Whether as a dummy runner or directly contributing to goals, he became a symbol of reliability.
In this match, Cabrera positioned Morsalin at the tip of a 4-4-2 diamond formation, where his main role was to play as a classic number ten in 'Zone 14'. However, Morsalin seemed to be missing for much of the game in this golden zone of the football field.
Weakness in Crosses and Cutbacks
It must be admitted that Rakib is currently the best dribbler in the Bangladesh team. However, the lack of coordination between the wings and the attack was evident throughout the match.
Who Will Score?
One goal in the last seven outings. To put it simply, Bangladesh has only managed one goal all year, which came against Bhutan from a goalkeeper's error. It seems no one in the Bangladesh team is capable of scoring goals this year.
While the Maldives capitalised on their first opportunity, Bangladesh missed chance after chance. As Coach Cabrera said after the match, "We should have won by 3 or 4 goals. In all the matches I've coached for the national team and the U-23 team, I believe this match saw the most goal-scoring opportunities created by my team."
Set-Piece Weakness Once Again
Coach Cabrera's comments on his team's set-piece weaknesses are worth noting. "We keep conceding goals from set-pieces. We conceded similarly in the second international friendly against Bhutan. Despite repeated training, we haven't been able to fix this issue. It's a matter of concern and frustration."
In Ali Fasir's goal for the Maldives, at least two Bangladeshi defenders were completely out of position. Shakil failed to mark the experienced Maldivian forward, allowing Ali Fasir to leap and score as if in a practice session.
When Bangladesh will overcome this problem remains an unanswered question, even for coach Cabrera, much like the football fans.
