Bangladesh’s dream of reaching the SAFF Championship final was shattered once again after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Pakistan in the second semifinal at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Saturday night.
Abdul Samad scored the decisive goal late in the match to seal Pakistan’s first-ever spot in the SAFF Championship final, leaving the home crowd in the packed gallery in disappointment.
The match remained goalless for most of the duration, with shots from both sides striking the posts in the first half to head into halftime tied at 0-0. Bangladesh increased their attacking pressure after the break, but failed to break down Pakistan’s disciplined defense.
Pakistan maintained a tight defense throughout and capitalized on their late opportunity. Bangladesh launched desperate attempts to equalize after conceding, but failed to find the net before the final whistle.
The victory marks a historic milestone for Pakistan, who had never reached a SAFF final before. They will face India in the title clash at the same venue on Tuesday, November 17. India secured their final berth earlier by defeating Bhutan 2-1 in the first semifinal, setting up a final between the two arch-rivals without the host nation.
The defeat is particularly painful for Bangladesh, who have not reached the SAFF final since 2005. Playing on home soil in familiar conditions with strong crowd support, the team missed a key opportunity to end their 21-year wait. Bangladesh won their only SAFF title in Dhaka in 2003, but have failed to lift the regional trophy in over two decades.
The match once again highlighted Bangladesh’s persistent struggle to finish attacks in front of goal. With their tournament exit, attention now shifts to the India-Pakistan final on November 17 and the future plans of the Bangladesh Football Federation to fix their scoring issues ahead of upcoming international matches.
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