Bangladesh stuns India 1-0 after 22 years

It’s been 22 long years, but Bangladesh has finally done it again – defeating India 1-0 in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers on Tuesday night at a packed Hyderabad National Stadium.

Sheikh Morsalin’s 13th-minute goal proved decisive as the Bengal Tigers ended a painful cycle of near-misses and disappointments against their neighbours.

The last time Bangladesh tasted victory over India was way back in 2003 (a 2-1 win in Dhaka). Since then, the head-to-head record had been heavily one-sided – until tonight.

This was the final match of Group I for both sides, with qualification hopes already extinguished. Yet the intensity never dipped. A deafening home crowd – roaring for Leicester City’s Hamza Choudhury in his final group-stage appearance – turned the stadium into a cauldron from the first whistle.

Bangladesh attacked relentlessly from the start. In the 13th minute, captain Rakib Hossain surged down the left, drove into the box and delivered a pinpoint low cross with his left foot.

Morsalin arrived perfectly timed and calmly side-footed the ball past the Indian keeper. 

India responded with urgency. They were handed a lifeline when Bangladesh centre-back Tariq Kazi limped off injured, forcing the hosts into a defensive reshuffle.

The visitors pushed hard and should have equalised before halftime – a shot rolled across an empty goalmouth, only for Hamza Choudhury to sprint back and produce a sensational goal-line header to preserve the lead.

The second half saw Bangladesh control possession and look dangerous on the counter, while India struggled to carve out clear chances. As the game wore on and fatigue set in, India threw numbers forward in the final ten minutes, but the defensive trio of Hamza, Saad Uddin, Isa Zayn and Topu Barman stood firm.

Goalkeeper Mitul Marma was rarely troubled.