Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka 4-0 to top SAFF group

Bangladesh produced an impressive performance to beat Sri Lanka 4-0 and finish top of their group in the SAFF Championship on Wednesday.

Having already secured a place in the semi-finals, the hosts needed a victory by at least two goals to finish as group champions, with Bhutan set to advance as runners-up.

Bangladesh dominated from the start, creating several attacking opportunities and showing better coordination than in their previous match against Bhutan.

Hamza Choudhury initiated an early attack with a free-kick effort in the fifth minute, which went just over the crossbar.

The hosts took the lead a few minutes later. Hamza delivered a cross from the right, but Sri Lankan goalkeeper Sujan Perera failed to hold the ball. Samit Som collected the rebound and scored with his second attempt after his initial shot was blocked by a defender.

Hamza, who usually plays as a defensive midfielder, operated in an attacking midfield role and played a key part in Bangladesh’s forward movements.

He doubled the lead with an impressive individual effort. Receiving a pass from Ibrahim, Hamza controlled the ball inside the box, beat a defender and fired past the advancing Perera. It was his fifth goal for Bangladesh.

Hamza also came close to scoring again with a backheel effort inside the penalty area, but the ball went narrowly over the crossbar.

Sri Lanka attempted to respond but struggled to convert their attacks into meaningful scoring opportunities. Bangladesh defender Zidan Yousuf also delivered a strong performance at the back.

Farhan Ali Wahed extended Bangladesh’s lead in the 55th minute with a superb solo goal. He entered the penalty area from the left, beat two defenders, moved past two more and finished with a powerful diagonal shot.

Bangladesh continued to threaten on the counter-attack, and Rakib Hossain completed the scoring with the fourth goal, lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation.

The emphatic victory secured Bangladesh’s position at the top of the group ahead of the semi-finals, while Bhutan advanced as group runners-up.